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→Fire control system
The fire control system allows the gunner to fire accurately while moving against either stationary or moving targets. The commander's station of the Abrams M1A1 is equipped with six periscopes, providing a 360° view.<ref>[http://www.army-technology.com/projects/abrams/ M1A1 / M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, USA, Army-technology.com]</ref> The tank weighs nearly 70 Tons making it one of the heaviest in the world, adding to the cost of transporting it accross oceans. The US Army is currently trying to develop a lightened 60 ton variant providing the same level of protection by using advanced materials such as Dorchester armour. The original M1 was armed with a Royal Ordnance Factories 105mm L7 rifled gun built under licence as the M68, but in the M1A1 and later this was replaced with a Rheinmetall L44 120mm smoothbore gun licence-built as the M256. All original L7-armed M1s have now been upgraded to at least M1A1 standard or have been retired.
The fire control system allows the gunner to fire accurately while moving against either stationary or moving targets. The commander's station of the Abrams M1A1 is equipped with six periscopes, providing a 360° view.<ref>[http://www.army-technology.com/projects/abrams/ M1A1 / M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, USA, Army-technology.com]</ref> The tank weighs nearly 70 Tons making it one of the heaviest in the world, adding to the cost of transporting it accross oceans. The US Army is currently trying to develop a lightened 60 ton variant providing the same level of protection by using advanced materials such as Dorchester armour. The original M1 was armed with a Royal Ordnance Factories 105mm L7 rifled gun built under licence as the M68, but in the M1A1 and later this was replaced with a Rheinmetall L44 120mm smoothbore gun licence-built as the M256. All original L7-armed M1s have now been upgraded to at least M1A1 standard or have been retired.
==Depleted uranium shells and armour==
The Abrams Tank System Program has been using [[depleted uranium]] shells and armor since the 1980s. The depleted uranium is made of a particular hardened "man-made" element, harder than lead, steel, or iron. So-called "amour piercing shells" of depleted uranium can slice through or melt lead, steel, or iron, while artillery shells made of those metals cannot penetrate the armour. Use of depleted uranium shells causes longterm [[environmental]] damage, and the lasting danger to humans of exposure to [[cancer]] causing [[radiation]].
==Use in combat==
==Use in combat==