Plastic assembly kit for an M1A1 Abrams model tank. In February 1980, the US Army received its first M1 tank. The Abrams tank incorporated the latest technological advances of the time, guaranteeing it marked superiority on the battlefield. The highly angular, low-profile turret had a very spacious interior. This highly angular design, combined with the Chobham armor, ensured excellent protection against the kinetic force of shaped-charge shells.