The U.S. Army announced that it is completely changing its strategy to iteratively upgrade the current Abrams main battle tank in favor of an all-new change aimed at increasing mobility and bolstering survivability on battlefields in the future.
The Army will discontinue the M1A2 SEPv4 program in favor of developing the M1E3 Abrams. This new version is tailored to meet the challenges that will be met on the battlefields of 2040 and onward. According to Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo, the reason for bailing on the SEPv4 was that its resources needed to be shifted toward research and development for a far better Abrams tank. The new tank will build on the lessons of recent conflicts, including the current war in Ukraine, which has demonstrated the need for increasingly better-integrated soldier protection and raised questions about the burden of logistics.
Speaking at AUSA, Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, the Army’s program executive officer for ground combat systems, went through a laundry list of the shortfalls of the legacy Abrams tank. According to him, the legacy platform “can no longer grow its capabilities without adding weight.” Indeed, a more diminutive logistical footprint should be at the forefront. Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, who is the director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, echoed that sentiment. Norman, who has spent years observing military operations unfolding in Eastern Europe, underscored that Abrams’ mobility and survivability have to be so designed that it can become useful as a dominant force on future battlefields.
It will then include the best features of the M1A2 SEPv4 and, by way of modular open systems architecture, be more readily upgradable in terms of technology in a manner that is more rapid and efficient. Therefore, these emanations will give the Army and its commercial partners the ability to design a more survivable, lighter-weight, easier-upgraded tank in the future.
General Dynamics Land Systems has already pulled the covers off a technology demonstrator for a future Abrams tank, called AbramsX, featuring lower weight and greater fuel efficiency. The AbramsX sports a hybrid power pack that enables a silent watch with some silent mobility, and it has embedded artificial intelligence for increased lethality, survivability, and mobility.
The Army plans to continue building the M1A2 SEPv3 at a much slower rate until the M1E3 can pick up as an active production. The M1E3 should achieve Initial Operational Capability in the early part of 2030. Addressing survivability while modernizing the M1E3 for longer-range threats will provide greater lethality and survivability for the crew.
Brig. Gen. Norman described the priorities in the design of the M1E3 Abrams for the Army as lighter in weight with better protection and should lessen the logistical burdens. The new design, he said, would incorporate an active protection system rather than adding it as an external component to get the best performance. Meanwhile, its gas turbine engine might be replaced by a hybrid-electric model to allow for long-duration silent watch and to cut fuel use by 20 percent.
The Army is also investigating whether to incorporate autoloaders for the potential reduction in crew members and the corresponding operational efficiency. The essence of this study is to balance between operational efficiency and crew protection, which is an ongoing analysis for the best design.
Soldier input will play a central role in the design of the M1E3. Technology demonstrators will be provided to the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division later in February to ensure the correct capabilities are prioritized. The plan is to have a production-representative version ready for soldier touchpoints sometime between fiscal 2027-2028, with the first unit expected to receive the new Abrams in the early 2030s.
The decision to develop the M1E3 Abrams reflects the fact that the Army remains dedicated to preserving the technology overmatch necessary to ensure the main battle tank goes forward as the most formidable fighting force onto the future battlefield.