Turkey Sends M60 and M48 Tanks to Somalia

The Turkish landing ship TCG Sancaktar delivered about a dozen M60 and M48 tanks to the port of Mogadishu in Somalia.

Immediately after unloading, eyewitnesses recorded the transport of combat vehicles through the streets of the capital on video, according to OSINT analyst Rich Tedd.

The delivery of the tanks coincided with the start of operations by the Turkish Navy in the country’s territorial waters.

M48 and M60 tanks

The M48 Patton tank appeared in the United States in the early 1950s as a replacement for the M47 tank.

The first versions were equipped with a 90 mm gun, but were later upgraded to the standard 105 mm gun. The tank has a hemispherical turret and a distinctive hull shape for better shell deflection.

The M60 was developed based on the M48 model. It was equipped with a 105 mm M68 rifled gun. The hull and turret armor were made of cast steel.

This vehicle became the main battle tank of many NATO countries in the second half of the 20th century.