Source: Quora
Is there a toilet in modern tanks like the M-1 Abrams or the Challenger 2?
M1 Abrams:
„Some background first: I was a M1 tanker during the Gulf War and served from 1989 to 1997. I spent all of my time on M1IPs and M1A1s. So now on to the question.
No, there is no toilet in a tank. The simple reason is that the tank was built to fight so every space in the tank is there to support that purpose. A toilet would take up a lot of space in the hull or turret which would change the characteristics of the tank: weight, height, carrying space. So while it’s an excellent suggestion from a crew comfort point-of-view it just isn’t practical.
Your only hope is to have a bottle to wiz in, or to hope that there will be a long enough stop to hop out and take care of business.
And yes, I know of tankers who had to piss themselves because the unit just couldn’t stop!”
Challenger 2:
„The Brits win this one. As someone actually training to use the Best of British armour, I can confirm the Challenger 2 has a toilet under the Loader’s seat. It flushes the waste out under the tank, and can be used when hatches are closed. Now you understand why the Brits have the best modern Main Battle Tank. Other than the excellent tea making faculties.
Incidentally, our Warrior troop carrier also has a toilet in the troop compartment, but that only has a bag that sits and stinks up the tank. So while the option is there, I’m sure the lads sharing the tight space with you would much prefer you hold it in.
Some of the first fighting vehicles to have toilets were actually old bombers from World War 2, so why it took us this long to get one in an armoured fighting vehicle I couldn’t say. But here you gotta give to the UK. We may not have the massive defence budget of the US, but we’re the ones who can operate a radio inside a tank while relieving our bowels in a sanitary fashion. Suck on that one Uncle Sam.”
