Tank crews are also useful in other roles. Army tank loaders can load the gun in three seconds, and in the first Gulf War, an M1 Abrams tank destroyed three enemy vehicles in five seconds. That may sound fast, but human loaders are actually faster-skilled U.S. The French LeClerc main battle tank has an autoloader that can load 12 rounds a minute, or one every five seconds. That doesn't mean human loaders don't have their advantages. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play Mechanical loaders also don't have to be paid-an important consideration in volunteer armies-and cutting personnel costs by 25 percent in tank units is a very attractive proposition. Mechanical loaders take up less volume inside a tank than a human being, meaning tanks can be made smaller.

All other tanks, including the new Russian T-14 Armata tank, have mechanical loaders. The American M1 Abrams tank is one of the last tanks to have a human main gun loader.

Out of sight, the gunner fires the gun and the breech block slides backward-straight toward the camera-ejecting the casing. The tank commander, to his right, gives the order to fire. In the video, the tank loader picks up a blue-labeled M831A1 TP-T, or Target Practice Tracer round, loads it into the breech, and closes the breech. Ever wondered what it looks like inside an Abrams tank when the main gun is fired? A GoPro video from the perspective of the tank's loader shows the action in the cramped space of the turret.

Modern battle tank fuel