Like the M1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT) and the Apache family of helicopters, the U.S.-made M60 tank proved that upgrades over time can keep a weapon system viable for decades.

The M60 “Patton” was a second-generation MBT. I put the “Patton” moniker in quotes because unlike, say, the M48 Patton, this particular make and model of tank was actually never ...