M46 Patton
| M46 Patton | |
|---|---|
An American M46 Patton tank of the United States Marine Corps, during the Korean War | |
| Type | Medium tank: 35 |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1949–1957 |
| Used by | See Operators below |
| Wars | Korean War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1948–1949 |
| Manufacturer | Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant |
| Developed into | M47 Patton |
| No. built | 1,160 (all variants) |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 97,003 lb (48.502 short tons; 44.000 t) |
| Length | 27.82 ft (8.48 m) |
| Width | 11.48 ft (3.50 m) |
| Height | 10.37 ft (3.16 m) |
| Crew |
|
| Armor | Up to 102 mm (4.0 in) |
Main armament |
|
Secondary armament |
|
| Engine | Continental AV-1790-5A V12, air-cooled Twin-turbo gasoline engine 810 hp (600 kW) |
| Power/weight | 18.4 hp (13.7 kW) / tonne |
| Transmission |
|
| Suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Ground clearance | 18.82 in (478 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 232 U.S. gal (880 L) |
Operational range | 81 mi (130 km) |
| Maximum speed | 30 mph (48 km/h) |
The M46 Patton is an American medium tank designed to replace the M26 Pershing and M4 Sherman. It was one of the U.S Army's principal medium tanks of the early Cold War, with models in service from 1949 until the mid-1950s. It was not widely used by U.S. Cold War allies, being exported only to Belgium, and only in small numbers to train crews on the upcoming M47 Patton.
The M46 was the first tank to be named after General George S. Patton Jr., commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle.