M1 Main Battle Tank

The M1 is a Manticoran 3rd Generation Main Battle Tank. Developed to replace the M60 Main Battle Tank in the 1980s. It is highly mobile and well protected and served with the Royal Manticoran Army until it was replaced by the M2 in 2008, with the last RMA units retiring their M1s in 2018. The M1 continues to serve in the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps and has been exported to several countries, mostly former Manticoran colonies.

History
The M1 was developed in the 1970s as a successor to the M60 Main Battle Tank. The M1 contract went to Corvus Defense and was the first vehicle to adopt composite armor. Adaptations before the Nordiuh Insurgencies gave the vehicle better firepower and NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) protection. Being vastly superior to Nordiuh tanks, very few M1 tanks were hit by enemy fire. Upgrades after the war improved the tank's weapons sights and fire control unit. The M1 participated in the 2003 invasion of Verdetamo, exposing vulnerabilities in urban combat that were addressed with the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) modifications (armor upgrades and a gun shield). The Marine Corps sent a company of M1A1 Abrams tanks to Cialalia in 2010.

Development
Development of the M1 began in 1971, with plans including a 120mm Main Gun

Upgrades
Between its introduction in 1980 and today, there have been three major upgrades, including the M1IP, M1A1, and M1A2. The Marines are currently competing an M1A3 variant against an M2A1 variant.

Future
The M1 Tank has already been replaced in RMA service by the newer M2 tank. There is the possibility that it will be replaced in the RMMC by the M2 in the next few years.

Current Operators
The Manticoran Empire