Choosing the Right Turnkey Project Provider

Former United States Army gunner Richard Estes had a lot on his mind as his crew’s M1 Abrams tank barreled up Highway 8 to the Baghdad airport in April 2003, at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Our tank was part of an armada whose mission was to get to Baghdad as soon as possible,” he recalled. “We were really hauling at 40-plus miles an hour. We only slowed down a few times to engage the enemy. The M1 is an amazing machine powered by an amazing engine, and we were confident nothing could stop us—and nothing did.”

Fast-forward 20-plus years and Estes now works for Honeywell, whose powerful and ultra-reliable AGT1500 gas turbine engine has propelled every M1 Abrams tank since the first one was commissioned in 1980. Estes is a supply development engineer who works with suppliers that make parts for Honeywell engines, including the AGT1500.

During his 24-year Army career, Estes served 18 years as an M1 tanker, which gave him plenty of opportunities to see the AGT1500 in action.

“The AGT1500 has power to spare, which is why the M1 is considered the fastest tank in the world, and it performs in any kind of weather,” he said. “I have personally been on crews operating the tank at minus 20 degrees in Korea and plus 120 degrees in Iraq, and the engine started instantly and ran great at both extremes.”