View source for M1 KVT

{{About
|about= gift American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= M1 Abrams (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m1_abrams_kvt
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_005.jpg}}
|store=12205
}}

== Description ==
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]]. Different to the real one, the M1 KVT in War Thunder was modified from [[M1 Abrams]] instead of [[M1A1]]. There are several differences on their appearance. Compared to the prototype, the side skirts were removed, and a frontal rubber-fabric screen was added. The gun barrel was covered by a camo net. A fake IR searchlight was mounted on the gun mantlet, and many fake ERA blocks were installed on the turret and the upper glacis. Two external fuel barrels were welded to the rear to mimic Soviet MBTs. The M240 pintle-mounted light machine gun on the reloader's cupola was removed, and each side of the turret had a board with the inscription "ЛОДКА" (‘boat’ in Russian) fixed on the basket.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
The armour of the M1 KVT is quite similar to the M1 Abrams with a few differences. The side skirts were removed, and a frontal rubber-fabric screen was equipped which gave its lower glacis more effective armour of chemical protection. The turret and the frontal hull were installed with several fake ERA blocks which weren't modelled and thus contributed zero additional protection. You can turn this into a regular Abrams by removing the "Vismod" in the modifications menu. The M1 KVT has decent frontal armour overall which gives it a great advantage in battles. The left turret cheek offers better protection compared to the right one, yet they both worked well at blocking most projectiles around its BR. The lower glacis offers a similar level of protection to the turret cheeks. On the other hand, the upper glacis is extremely angled which may bounce most shells. Those bounced shells are likely to be absorbed by the composite armour modules of the turret cheeks at last. However, the lower part of the main gun mantlet along with the turret ring is very fragile: most large-calibre shells can easily penetrate it. Most reserve ammo is stored at the rear of the turret and such penetration is very likely to detonate them. Due to the thin roof armour, the gunner optics shield is actually another weak spot that has a risk of overpressuring your entire crew by catching large-calibre HE shells such as 3OF26, 9M119, and DTB-125.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, turret ring)
* Rubber-fabric screens (frontal skirt)
* Structural steel (spaced armour, external fuel barrels)
* Composite screen (side skirts, mounted when the vismod modification is removed)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull
| 38.1 mm (83°) ''Upper glacis'' <br> 19 mm (83°) ''Middle glacis'' <br> 31.75 mm (40°) ''Lower glacis''
| 60 mm ''Upper part of frontal section'' <br> 30 mm ''Lower part of frontal section'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Upper part of rear section'' <br> 27.6 mm ''Lower part of rear section''
| 31.75 mm (0°, 37°) <br> 5 mm ''Engine vents'' <br> 12.7 mm (53°) ''Bottom''
| 31.75 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret
| 38.1 mm (27°, 30°) ''Left cheek'' <br> 38.1 mm (25°, 31°) ''Right cheek'' <br> 70, 38.1, 25.4, 5 mm (34°, 30-36°, 83°, 86°) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 25.4 mm (70-81°) ''Upper turret ring shield'' <br> 50.8 mm (6-40°) ''Lower turret ring shield''
| 19 mm (30°) ''Front'' <br> 6.35 mm (30°) ''Rear''
| 12.7 mm (1°, 43°, 48°)
| 38.1 mm (84°) ''Front'' <br> 25.4 mm (86°) ''Rear'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Gunner optics shield'' <br> 25 mm ''Reloader's cupola'' <br> 19 mm ''Blowout panels''
|-
| Cupola
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | 25.4 mm (51-60°)
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Frontal effective protection !! Sides
|-
| Hull
| '''Lower glacis:''' <br> 400-500 mm ''Kinetic'' / 800-1000 mm ''Chemical''
!
|-
| Turret
| '''Cheeks:''' <br> 400-450 mm ''Kinetic'' / 600-850 mm ''Chemical'' <br> '''Gun mantlet:'''<br> 240 mm ''Kinetic'' / 450 mm ''Chemical''
| '''Front:''' <br> 200 mm ''Kinetic'' / 300-350 mm ''Chemical'' <br> '''Rear:''' <br> 60 mm ''Kinetic'' / 400 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick, and the frontal skirt is 4 mm thick.
* The frontal part of the underbody is 25.4 mm thick, and the rear one is 12.7 mm thick.
* There are a few spaced armour on the turret sides that are 4 mm thick.
* Two 38 mm thick internal RHA screens separate the crew compartment from most ammo racks and the engine compartment. Another two 19 mm thick internal RHA screens encircle two exterior fuel tanks.
* By removing the vismod modification, the frontal skirt is removed, and the side skirts which contain 65 mm of the composite screen at the frontal section will be mounted.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
The M1 KVT has brilliant mobility around its BR. With the high power-to-weight ratio and decent off-road mobility, the M1 KVT can swiftly accelerate to the average speed of ~60 km/h on most terrains. It also has acceptable hull traverse speed and one of the best reverse speed in top-tier MBTs. Those features make the M1 KVT a very competent all-purpose tank whether to flank, brawl, or translocate yourself.

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
{{main|M68A1 (105 mm)}}

Sharing the same main gun as the M1 Abrams, the M1 KVT has mediocre firepower when fighting with the enemy in hull-down positions. Most Soviet/Russian MBTs around its BR have sufficient turret protection to absorb its shells. The M1 KVT's engine also makes a loud noise which is very lethal when the enemy is experienced and has high vigilance. The elevated engine decks and two additional fuel barrels welded on it significantly limit its gun depression and movement backwards. Despite those defects, its main gun is very accurate with the thermal sights, competent two-plane stabilizer, and laser rangefinder. It has amazing -10° of gun depression and relatively fast reloading speed. You can also remove the annoying external fuel barrels by disabling the vismod modification.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M68A1 (105 mm)|105 mm M68A1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M68A1 (105 mm)/Ammunition|M456A2, M393A2, M735, M416, M774}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
<!-- '''Last updated: 2.17.0.126''' -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! 4th<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
| '''55''' || 48&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 45&nbsp;''(+10)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Blowout rack only: 45&nbsp;''(+10)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M240 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Commander's cupola || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -9°/+65° || ±180°
|-
|}

The 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun pintle-mounted on the commander's cupola is good at clearing obstacles and fighting both light vehicles and aerial targets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M240 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M240]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 10,000 (200) || 941 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

The machine gun fixed coaxially at the right side of the main gun can only cause effective damage on light vehicles with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets in realistic battles.

== Usage in battles ==
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
The frontal armour of M1 KVT is well-balanced and most APFSDSs with less penetration of 400 mm won't cause trouble on you without aiming carefully. However, every MBT above 10.3 of battle rating has proper APDSFS to penetrate the M1 KVT at any spot. On the other hand, your best shell the M774 is underperforming even in the battles with the same BR. Hence, it's recommended that you should make use of its brilliant mobility, quick reloading, and good gun handling like a light tank. Keep flanking the enemy and translocating yourself. Noted that its engine is quite noisy, so remember to turn off your engine when you are ambushing the enemy.

=== Pros and cons ===
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->

'''Pros:'''

* ~400 mm of frontal kinetic protection overall and blowout panels at the rear of the turret protecting preloaded and primary ammo racks
* Wonderful acceleration, top speed, reverse speed, and off-road mobility
* Very accurate gun, gunner thermal sight, competent two-plane stabilizer, and brilliant depression and elevation
* Relatively fast reloading speed, 5-second reload with full-upgraded aced crew

'''Cons:'''

* The firepower of the main gun is insufficient around its BR
* Downhill terrain significantly decreases the effectiveness of its frontal armour
* Elevated engine decks limit turret rear angle depression
** VISMOD unique barrels effectively disables rear angle turret views (This can however be disabled by unequipping the VISMOD module)
* VISMOD removes side panel armour (same as rear barrels, can be unequipped to regain panels)
* Almost no frontal protection against an APFSDS that has more penetration than 450 mm

== History ==
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->

;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m1_abrams_kvt Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==
<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.'' -->

* [[wt:en/news/8204-development-pre-order-m1-kvt-en|[Devblog] Pre-order: M1 KVT]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}