Draft:M60A2 "Starship"

= M60A2 "Starship" =

The M60A2 (Unofficially nicknamed "Starship") was an American Main Battle Tank developed from the M60 Patton and was named "Starship" due to the unusual "space-race" turret design. It was armed with an 152mm Gun/Launcher, which was designed to both fire conventional kinetic ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile, similarly to the M551 Sheridan.

The M60A2 entered service with the United States Army in 1972, but only entered production in 1975. The M60A2 itself never saw service, however the M551 Sheridan saw service in Vietnam. The Sheridan used a similar gun (M81E1) and an identical missile as the Starship, as result many experiences from the Sheridan were translated to the Starship. The gun launcher was unreliable and was prone to mechanical failures. The MGM-51 Shillelagh was proven as a failure during the Sheridan's service life, improvements and modernisation projects ended in disappointments.

Ultimately, the M60A2 was phased and removed from service in 1981. Many Starships had the turrets removed and reconfigured to M60A3 standards for extended service.

Development
During the 1960s, the United States Army was unsure about the future of tank combat. Many believed that guided missiles would be the future of armoured warfare, while others were certain that kinetic ammunition would stay. The United States Army decided to find a "middle-ground" in this argument. Creating a vehicle was a gun that was capable of firing both standard kinetic ammunition and fire gun-launched ATGMs.