#Inboard m1 upgrades 2018 upgrade

So, what does this mean for industry and companies looking to acquire the new program of record that will eventually replace the M1 Abrams? As Brig Gen Coffman stated, the future tank may not actually be a “tank.” With an “anything goes” mentality, is our conventional idea of what a tank is the ideal route for the next program? Maybe the answer isn’t an actual tank, but a large gun that can fire from extreme distances, enabling the vehicle to be lighter weight, easily deployable, and safe from enemy fire. It is clear the direction US Military Forces are moving towards is a lighter, faster, more deployable force, with increased range and maximized lethality. The SEP V4 package aims to increase M1A2’s lethality by incorporating the addition of a new laser rangefinder, advanced Forward Looking Infrared sight, 360-degree cameras, better ammunition data links, integrated onboard networks, advanced meteorological sensors, laser warning receivers and a far more lethal, multi-purpose 120mm tank round. The SEP V4 enhancement package is set to make production at the end of fiscal year 2023 with hopes of entering into its first brigade in 2025. The US Army has already awarded GDLS (General Dynamics Land Systems) with a contract to develop the next line of upgrades to be added to the M1A2. As part of this upgrade, the enhancement also calls for an architecture adjustment, which includes the addition of ethernet ports, enabling troops to acquire their targets more quickly.

#Inboard m1 upgrades 2018 upgrade

The intent of this upgrade has been to purchase some of the weight, power, and overall size that was lost during Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Brig Gen Coffman said, it is decisive lethality and what that decisive lethality is will be determined by academia, our science and technology community within the Army and industry.” He goes on to say, “everything from a ray gun to a Star Wars-like four-legged creature that shoots lasers,” Coffman said, “but the reality is that everything is on the table.”Īlthough the US Army is planning to undergo the M1 Abrams evolution, the Army has begun accepting the M1A2 Enhancement Package Version 3 (SEP V3). During his interview at AUSA 2018, Brig Gen Coffman discussed the modernization of the M1 Abrams and its inevitable replacement expected by the year 2023. This year at AUSA, Brig Gen Ross Coffman, who oversees combat vehicle modernization, discussed the future of the M1 Abrams and how its next generation may not actually even be a tank. Its ability to produce lethal results from over 2,500 meters was a crucial factor against Soviet designed forces in Desert Storm, as the range of their main gun was only 2,000 meters and Iraqi tanks couldn’t fire anti-missile defenses.Īs the dynamics of war change and large world powers continue to demonstrate their increasing technological advances and capabilities, the increased need for long-range high lethality weapons have become a focus for US Defense forces. When it entered into the battlefield against Iraqi forces, the M1A1 (M1Abrams) was far more advanced than the Iraqi’s Soviet era T-55 and T-62’s.

The M1 Abrams remained untested until the Persian Golf War in 1991. Since its introduction to the US Army in 1980, the M1 Abrams has been a superior fighting machine. Future Tank Replacement for M1 AbramsĪs the US gears up for future wars and the everchanging battlefield, the evolution of the M1 Abrams tank has been a hot topic of discussion and what the possible direction is that it may take.