Do Modern Tanks Have Air Conditioning?

Active-duty military life is by no means easy. It demands a high level of physical fitness, courage under literal fire, a willingness to down MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) that are far from gourmet, and often long workdays in harsh climates. Many military assignments will land you outside in desert heat, but what happens if you end up with the MOS (Military Operations Specialty) designation 19K, otherwise known as an Armor Crewmember? After surviving boot camp, will this placement lead to a cushy seat in an air-conditioned tank?

Tanks were born of necessity during World War I, and these heavily armored combat vehicles now have sophisticated electronics along with traditional weapons systems. The first car to get an air conditioning system was the 1940 Packard, so of course the tanks used during World War I and World War II did not have this creature comfort.

The driver of the U.S. military's formidable M1A2 Abrams tank gets a more comfortable seat than their three crewmates, and air conditioning is installed on much of the Army's tank fleet. The M1 Abrams tank and many armored personnel carriers have A/C, although this wasn't always the case. In 1995 the Army approved the M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package), which included a new command interface and air conditioning for the crew cabin.

Among the common misconceptions about tanks is that they're slow and uncomfortable for their crews. The M1 Abrams tank has a top speed of over 40 mph on level, paved roads and the M1A2 SEP has made it less taxing to ride in. In Europe, Russia's T-90MS tank and Poland's Leopard 2PL also have air conditioning systems.The cooling system on the M1A2 is not just there to keep its crew comfortable, though it is invaluable when these tanks are deployed to the desert. 

The air conditioning in a tank is designed to protect the sensitive electronics in targeting, navigation, and thermal imaging systems. These critical mechanisms can overheat and malfunction just like consumer electronics, and the air conditioning in military combat vehicles is critical to keeping them operating correctly. The M1 Abrams's air conditioning unit is also part of its Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) overpressure protection system, a filtration process that protects soldiers inside the tank from airborne threats. Staying cool may be a fringe benefit for our soldiers, but air conditioning is vital to keeping the operators of these fighting machines as alert, safe, and ready as possible.