| “ | Those Starships have weaker armor than the M60A3, but they have a 20mm anti-aircraft autocannon and some guided missiles. - Ambush Alley briefing |
” |
A cheap unit, but below average in everything, the M60A2E1 Starship introduced in Wargame: European Escalation can be a valuable asset against a Warsaw Pact opponent using high cost MBTs. It's main drawback is a high supply consumption in the form of ATGMs and fuel, resulting in a low reliability vehicle.
History[]
The M60A2 was intended as a stop-gap solution until the projected replacement by the MBT-70. The M60A2, nicknamed the "Starship" due to its Space Age technology, featured an entirely new low-profile turret with a commander's machine-gun cupola on top, giving the commander a good view and field of fire while under armor, but spoiling the low profile. It featured a 152 mm main gun similar to that of the M551 Sheridan light tank, which fired conventional rounds as well as the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile system.
The fitting of a CBSS (Closed Breech Scavenger System), which used pressurized air to clear the breech after each shot, solved the problem of unburnt propellant from the main gun rounds fouling the barrel and pre-detonating subsequent rounds. The M60A2 proved a disappointment, though technical advancements would pave the way for future tanks. The MBT-70, which relied on much of the technology used in the M60A2, never advanced beyond prototype stage.
Production of M60A2 started in 1973 and ended with 1975 with 520 built. The Shillelagh/M60A2 system was phased out from active units by 1981, and the turrets were scrapped. Most of the M60A2 tanks were rebuilt as the M60A3 Patton tanks, or the hulls converted to armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) vehicles.
Weapons[]
European Escalation[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | ATGM | Main Gun | HMG |
| Name | Shillelagh | M81E1 | M2 Browning |
| Caliber | SACLOS | 152mm | 12.7mm |
| Ammo | x 9 missiles | x 15 rounds | x 900 rounds |
| Range | Ground = 2275 m Helicopters = N/A m  Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 1925 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 1225 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| AP Power | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| HE Power | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Rate of fire | 7 r/min | 7 r/min | 500 r/min |
AirLand Battle[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | ATGM | Main Gun | MMG |
| Name | Shillelagh | M81E1 | M2 Browning |
| Caliber | SACLOS [HEAT] [GUID] |
152mm [HEAT] [AoE] | 12.7mm |
| Ammo | x 9 | x 15 | x 900 |
| Range | Ground = 2450 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 1925 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 1050 m Helicopters = 875 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| AP Power | 6 | 1 | N/A |
| HE Power | N/A | 4 | .75 |
| Suppression | 50 | 175 | 90 |
| Rate of fire | 7 r/min | 7 r/min | 500 r/min |
Red Dragon[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Main Gun | ATGM | MMG |
| Name | M81E1 | Shillelagh | M2 Browning |
| Caliber | 152mm [HEAT] [AoE] | SACLOS [HEAT] [GUID] |
7.62mm |
| Ammo | x 20 | x 8 | x 900 |
| Range | Ground = 1925 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 2450 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 1050 m Helicopters = 875 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 45% | 30% | 15% |
| Stabilizer | 15% | N/A | 5% |
| AP Power | 11 | 16 | N/A |
| HE Power | 5 | N/A | .75 |
| Suppression | 175 | 150 | 90 |
| Rate of fire | 8 r/min | 8 s r/min | 652 r/min |
Gallery[]
