The M1A1 Abrams Main Battle tank, while not quite as invincible as Mr. Child describes in the excerpt quoted above, is indeed a formidable weapon, and the most powerful tank ever made. Named after the late General Creighton W. Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and commander of the 37th Armored Battalion in the United States, the M1A1 Abram is the ultimate mobile ground-based weapon. Its function is to provide mobile firepower that can close with and destroy any opposing armoured fighting vehicle in the world, while protecting its crew in any combat environment. It can engage the enemy in any weather, day or night.

Three versions of the Abrams tank are in service, including the original M1 model, dating from the early 1980s. Newer versions include the M1A1, produced from 1985 through 1993, and the M1A2, which is an upgraded version that includes such high-tech devices as thermal imaging, GPS navigation and digital communications.

The M1A1 weighs 50 metric tonnes, and is 10 metres long when the gun turret is pointed forward. The tank is 3.7 metres wide, with a ground clearance of half a metre. It's powered by a 1500 horsepower gas turbine engine, and supports a crew of four: Commander, Gunner, Loader and Driver. The M1A1 can climb over obstacles over a metre high, and traverse ditches 3 metres deep. It has a top speed of close to 70 km/h, can accelerate from 0-32 km/h in just 7 seconds, and has a cruising range of 440 kilometres. The replacement cost for and M1A1 Abrams tank is over 4 million dollars US; over 8000 have been made.