Intended to function as land ships with the firepower and mobility that could shatter the deadlock of trench warfare during World War I, the first tanks deployed in 1916 were massive, lumbering, and ungainly equipment. A little over 20 years later, in 1939, the lightning invasion of the Wehrmacht into Poland showcased vastly improved machines, similar to contemporary tanks. From these forerunners, the modern battle tank further developed into even more powerful weapons platforms, including the highly formidable M1 Abrams tank. Built by General Dynamics, the M1 Abrams is manufactured at its U.S. facility in Lima, Ohio.

The M1 Abrams tank traces its origins to the 1960s, when plans were initiated for the successor to the M60 and Leopard tanks of the American and West German militaries, respectively. Designed with better offensive and defensive capabilities, the tank exceeded its projected costs and was subsequently cancelled. In 1972, the U.S. Army announced its requirements for its new battle tank, and by 1973, General Motors and Chrysler Defense were awarded contracts to produce prototypes. During performance tests, the GM unit beat its competition, but its award was prevented, and the Chrysler entry was instead chosen and named the XM1.

In 1978, the first lot of XM1 development models came out of the Lima facility, and by 1980, the initial batch of M1 Abrams was launched. Chrysler Defense was bought by General Dynamics in 1982, resulting in a new division called General Dynamics Land Systems, which took over the production of the M1 Abrams. Founded in 1941, the Lima plant is a joint venture between General Dynamics Land Systems and the U.S. Government, where the Abrams series tanks were produced, alongside components for the armored personnel carrier Stryker and gun systems for the U.S. Navy.

Once the manufacturing of the first M1 Abrams began at the Lima plant, 2,000 units were built during its five-year production run. At the same year production on the original ended, construction for the new M1A1 commenced, and when it ended in 1992, 4,800 units had been completed. Finally, when the third-generation M1A2 Abrams came out in 1992, the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima produced approximately 1,800 to 2,100 examples until 1996. While no new Abrams tanks are in production, the JSMC instead enhances and modifies M1A1 tanks to the newer SEPv3 specifications.

The M1 Abrams is among the best battle tanks in the world, and its systems are being continuously developed, including the SEPv3 upgrade. Intended to enhance the existing capabilities of the tank, the SEPv3 comes with a vehicle monitoring system, better communications capabilities, and improved power production and management. In addition, its destructive capabilities have been upgraded with a better targeting system, as well as installation support for several high-caliber machine guns and a grenade launcher.

At nearly half a century old, the M1 Abrams is one of the oldest tanks still in service, but it remains a capable and intimidating weapon. Its durable armor, effective weaponry, and excellent mobility have given it excellent performance characteristics in actual battlefield scenarios from the Gulf War to the conflict in Ukraine. As military technologies continue to advance, the M1 Abrams faces new challenges, including the Chinese-made Type 99, the Russian T-14 Armata, and even weaponized drones. To address this, the Abrams is evolving with the M1E3, which is a more technologically advanced and lighter tank that is capable of countering current and developing warfare threats.