Tank origin

Initially produced in 1952 to contend with Soviet tanks on European battlefields, the M48 Patton tank series saw action in several armed conflicts elsewhere in the years that followed, most notably in Vietnam. Improvements made on the M48A2 from the M48A1 included a reconfigured engine deck, a simplified suspension system, and the use of external fuel tanks to increase the tank’s travel range. However, the M48A2 kept the 90 mm gun and four-man crew setup of the M48A1. The M48 series was the last line of U.S. medium tanks to officially bear the name of General George S. Patton, the famed World War II military commander.