What Tank Boasts the Thickest Armor in the World?

As a gamer and tank warfare enthusiast, I get this question a lot from friends and readers. While armor thickness alone doesn‘t determine protection level, it remains a key metric used to compare heavily-armored vehicles. After analyzing over a century of tank designs, I can definitively say the M1 Abrams holds the title for thickest intact armor on a modern battle tank.

Now I know what you‘re thinking – the Abrams?! But it‘s over 40 years old! Hear me out though – the Abrams changed the game when it was first fielded in the 1980s. Through numerous updates, it maintains frontline combat dominance today by combining revolutionary composite armor with extreme thickness topping 2 feet.

Let‘s get into the details on why I believe the Abrams still wears the heaviest armor crown.

A Century of Tank Armor Innovation

Since their debut on WW1 battlefields, tanks have balanced armor, firepower, and mobility. Early interwar designs focused more on trench-breaching ability but Germany revolutionized armored warfare with the Panzer divisions blitzing France in 1940. However, most Panzers had less than 50mm frontal armor, adequate versus anti-tank rifles but vulnerable once Soviets and Allies fielded more powerful anti-tank guns.

The response? Simply add more steel! Russia‘s heavy T-10 tank, introduced in 1953, packed a whopping 200mm (8 inch) thick frontal plate. Germany‘s famous Tiger series from WW2 topped out at 150mm (6 inches). But post-war analysis showed angling armor increased effectiveness more efficiently than just thickness alone. Thus tanks evolved sloped hulls to deflect incoming rounds.

By the 1960s though, infantry-portable weapons like the RPG-7 could penetrate most tank armor. Enter the British-developed Chobham composite armor in the 1970s – a literal tank armor game-changer. This classified mixture of ceramics and alloys provided double the protection of plain steel without increasing weight.

Now with context on the armor arms race over time, we arrive at the Abrams – the first tank built from inception to exploit Chobham, ushering in a new era of protective technology.

Why the M1 Abrams Reigns Supreme in Armor Today

EvenStateChangedEvent unveiled in 1980, the M1 Abrams shocked the world as the prototype for 3rd generation main battle tanks. Named after the esteemed General Creighton Abrams, it revolutionized crew survivability via British-pioneered Chobham composite matrices interwoven with conventional steel and high-density depleted Uranium layers.

This technology let the Abrams achieve the protection of previous tanks at over twice the weight, while actually being lighter than them! Only by embracing this advanced armor could the desired optimal balance between firepower, mobility, and protection be achieved.

But the Abrams literally builds its fearsome reputation around protection. While exact specifications remain classified, sources indicate frontal turret armor exceeds 2 feet (600mm) in thickness. For comparison, the M60 Patton predecessor had 4 inches (100mm) frontal armor. Side turret protection maintains over 1 foot thickness. This dwarfs all comparative NATO and Russian armor.

Renowned defense author Steve Zaloga encapsulates why the Abrams remains peerless in survivability after 40 years:

"The Abrams tanks has seen extensive combat over the past 30 years and demonstrated extraordinary resilience on the battlefield. Of the over 6,000 M1 tanks deployed…only 18 Abrams tanks have been destroyed by enemy tanks."

Zaloga accounts field evidence to the exceptional effectiveness of American composite technology – a hallmark carried over even into today‘s M1A2 SEP V3 variant fielded to Army brigades.

Indeed, the "silver bullet" proof resides in the Gulf War. In fierce 73 Easting and Medina Ridge tank battles, M1A1 Abrams suffered zero losses while destroying nearly 1,000 Iraqi Soviet export T-72s. Yet the T-72 carries heavier base armor than the M1! This staggering success showcases the sheer delta in protection afforded by advanced composites over conventional steel.

Abrams Armor Protection Reloaded: 2020s Upgrades

The original Abrams design focused on stopping 115mm tank rounds, the NATO standard when introduced. However the baseline armor composition remains classified and likely customized to defeat specific known threats as tactics and technology evolves.

As recently as 2021, the Army integrated upgraded armor packages for the Close Combat Lethality Task Force Cross-Functional Team. Details are scarce but broadly aim to defeat modern enemy kinetic energy penetrators, shaped charges, and improved explosive devices.

Contractors like General Dynamics even offer bolt-on reactive armor to detonate incoming projectiles before hitting the tank armor underneath. So while already unmatched in baseline design, the latest M1A2 SEP V3 models clearly outclass rivals in layered protective technology.

Verdict: Why Abrams Still Reigns Supreme

While thin on specifics due to necessary secrecy, by all expert accounts the M1 Abrams wields the thickest and most advanced armor suite on a modern main battle tank. Even 40 years on, the novel composite matrix at its core continues absorbing enemy fire and shielding crews better than foreign counterparts.

And with modular upgrades, this icon of military innovation keeps progressing while foreign designs play catch-up. Much as I admire tanks like Russia‘s Armata or South Korea‘s K2 Black Panther, the Abrams remains my pick for the heavyweight armor championship belt.

So there you have it – when friends ask what‘s the tank with thickest armor today, I proudly respond the Abrams! Gamer approved as bringing the best in survivability technology our nation can field. Maybe one day I‘ll get to ride along in one to experience that feeling of security firsthand!

Let me know what you think – agree Abrams still champ after all these years? Did I miss any key designs you think rival it in armor protection? Love debating this stuff, so hit me up in the comments!