As Operation Atlantic Resolve rolls on indefinitely and the Pentagon moves a portion of its ground fighting equipment to Eastern Europe permanently, photos of Abrams main battle tanks operating in the region have become commonplace. But not photos like this.
The image above, taken from a unique perspective right along the Abrams 120mm smooth-bore cannon barrel, show the massive blast that erupts from it during live-fire. You can even see the projectile faintly glowing in the middle on the Novo Selo training range in Bulgaria.
The soldiers firing the tank’s gun belong to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division. This particular exercise in Bulgaria was called Speed and Power, which was one of many joint training exercise that demonstrated America’s ability to operate in Eastern Europe with its NATO allies.
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