Manufacturer catalog

Detroit Tank Arsenal

Detroit Tank Arsenal was Chrysler's government-owned, contractor-operated tank plant in Warren, Michigan, created in 1940 to mass-produce U.S. armored vehicles. It anchors Detroit-built M60A1 Patton context and the plant's wider record of Sherman, Patton-series, and early Abrams production work.

1 weapons

Detroit Tank Arsenal was the wartime Chrysler-operated tank plant in Warren, Michigan. U.S. Army history says Chrysler received the contract in August 1940, the first tank was produced in a little more than eight months, and the facility was officially renamed Detroit Tank Arsenal on 29 May 1941. The same Army history page records 22,234 new tanks and 2,825 refurbished armored vehicles before the plant closed in 1996.

The plant is directly tied to Detroit-produced armored vehicles, especially the M60A1 Patton. Army engineering and historical survey sources tie the Warren site to M3 and M4 Sherman production in the 1940s, the M47 Patton during the Korean War period, M60A2 production in the 1960s, and later M-60 and M-1 Abrams work at the broader Detroit Arsenal installation.

tank manufacturingarmored vehicle productiongovernment-owned, contractor-operated manufacturingmain battle tanks

Notable Systems

M60A1 Patton, Second-generation main battle tank, Tanks

M60A1 Patton

Second-generation main battle tank

AFV Database attributes M60A1 production to Detroit Tank Arsenal and records first acceptance in October 1962.

Sources: AFV Database M60
M4 Sherman, Second World War medium tank family, Tanks

M4 Sherman

Second World War medium tank family

The Army Corps Detroit Arsenal site inspection states that the Warren facility produced M3 and M4 Sherman tanks during the 1940s, and The Tank Museum documents Chrysler Detroit production of the M4A4 Sherman.

Sources: DTA PFAS site inspection, M4 Sherman - The Tank Museum

Manufacturer History

  1. Chrysler receives the tank-plant contract

    The U.S. Army history page says Chrysler was awarded the contract in August 1940 to erect and operate the first U.S. factory designed to mass-produce tanks.

    Sources: Army Detroit history

  2. Detroit Tank Arsenal name adopted

    Army history says the plant was originally called the Detroit Ordnance Plant and was officially renamed Detroit Tank Arsenal on 29 May 1941.

    Sources: Army Detroit history

  3. M60A1 production begins

    AFV Database records Detroit Tank Arsenal as the manufacturer for the M60A1 and lists its first acceptance in October 1962.

    Sources: AFV Database M60

  4. Tank production ceases

    The Army Corps Detroit Arsenal site inspection says tank production ceased in 1987, before the plant's permanent closure in 1996.

    Sources: DTA PFAS site inspection

  5. Tank production ends at the plant

    Army history says the Detroit Tank Arsenal plant closed after 56 years in 1996.

    Sources: Army Detroit history

Website links
Official websiteHistoryArmy Contracting Command - Detroit Arsenal

Detroit Tank Arsenal refers to the Chrysler-operated Warren tank plant, while modern Army sources often use Detroit Arsenal for the broader active installation at the same site. The combined Fisher Tank Arsenal; Detroit Tank Arsenal attribution remains separate for records whose sources name both plants together.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Army Detroit historyPublisher: U.S. Army Garrison - Detroit Arsenal | Note: Supports the 1940 Chrysler contract, the 29 May 1941 rename to Detroit Tank Arsenal, wartime output, and the 1996 closure of the plant. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • DTA PFAS site inspectionPublisher: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Note: Supports the Warren installation history, the 1941 rename to Detroit Tank Arsenal, and later Detroit Arsenal production of M60A2, M-60, and M-1 Abrams versions. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • AFV Database M60Publisher: AFV Database | Note: Supports the Detroit Tank Arsenal manufacturer attribution for the M60/M60A1 family and the October 1962 first acceptance date for the M60A1. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • US Army Detroit Arsenal imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the rights-clear public-domain aerial image of Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan used for manufacturer image provenance context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • M4 Sherman - The Tank MuseumPublisher: The Tank Museum | Note: Supports M4 Sherman production background and a Chrysler Detroit-built M4A4 Sherman example. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

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M60A1 Patton, Second-generation main battle tank, Tanks1973 Yom Kippur War, 1980 Iran-Iraq War +3 moreM60A1 PattonSecond-generation main battle tankBuilt in: United StatesThe M60A1 Patton is a U.S.-origin main battle tank built around the 105 mm M68 gun, a four-person crew, and a redesigned long turret with heavier protection than the original M60. Israeli Magach 6A tanks, Iranian M60A1s, and U.S. Marine Corps M60A1s give the type a documented combat record from the 1973 Yom Kippur War through the 1990 Gulf War, while exported vehicles such as Yemen's pre-war inventory kept it visible in later conflicts.