Profile
- Type
- Second-generation main battle tank
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- Cold War design retained in Yemeni service into the 2014-2015 civil-war period
Tanks
M60A1 Patton
The M60A1 Patton is a U.S.-origin main battle tank with a 105 mm gun, four-person crew, and improved turret protection over the original M60. Yemen's pre-war army inventory included M60A1s, so surviving vehicles formed part of the legacy armored force available as the Yemen Civil War split state units and front lines.
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Built by
- Detroit Tank Arsenal
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- Accepted into U.S. service in October 1962; later exported to multiple armies including Yemen
- Used by
- Yemeni Army
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Chrysler Defense
- Designed
- Early 1960s
- Built by
- Detroit Tank Arsenal
- Built in
- United States
- Unit cost
- Not consistently reported for Yemeni-operated vehicles
- Produced
- 1962 onward for M60A1 production
- Number built
- 7,948 M60A1 acceptances reported by AFV Database
- Variants
- M60A1, M60A1 RISE, M60A1 RISE Passive
Specifications
- Crew
- 4
- Armament
- 105 mm M68 rifled main gun, 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and .50-caliber commander's machine gun
- Combat weight
- About 105,000 lb / 47,600 kg
- Mobility
- Continental AVDS-1790 diesel engine; about 30 mph road speed and 280-300 mile range
- Ammunition
- 63 rounds for the 105 mm main gun
- Protection
- Cast turret and steel hull armor, with improved M60A1 turret protection compared with the original M60
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Legacy main battle tank and direct-fire armor
M60A1 Pattons were documented as fielded by the Yemeni Army in the pre-war inventory at the 2014-2015 Houthi takeover, making them part of the heavy armor available to Yemeni battlefield parties; this entry assigns the catalog side to Yemeni government and coalition forces because the source identifies state army holdings rather than a distinct Houthi transfer.
M60A1 Patton Images
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105mm Gun Tank M60Publisher: AFV Database | Note: Supports M60A1 manufacturer, production acceptance, crew, dimensions, weight, armament, engine, mobility, and ammunition specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Handbook Of Pre-War Yemeni Fighting VehiclesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War context: M60A1 Pattons were fielded by the Yemeni Army before the 2014-2015 Houthi takeover and were listed as equipment available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Egyptian Army M60A1 Tank ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary M60A1 image; U.S. Air Force photo marked public domain. | Accessed: 2026-06-20US Army M60A1 Tank in 1975 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a U.S. Army M60A1 reference image; public-domain U.S. government work. | Accessed: 2026-06-20M60A1 RISE Passive TankFest 2017 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an M60A1 RISE Passive gallery image and its Commons license information. | Accessed: 2026-06-20