General Dynamics Land Systems has secured a production contract from the U.S. Army to upgrade 100 Abrams main battle tanks into the new M1A2 SEP v.3 configuration. The Army had earlier accepted the first of about a half-dozen initial production versions of the modernized main battle tank late last year.
When Russia first unveiled the T-14 Armata tank to the public in 2015, western militaries took note of next-generation juggernaut’s futuristic and flexible design, which was built to replace several armored ground units. But unfortunately for the Russian armed forces, a sluggish economy hit by sanctions and massive corruption doesn’t appear to be able to produce the revolutionary tank in significant numbers.
The United States Army awarded Leonardo DRS a $193 million contract to equip the service’s M1A2 SEP v2 main battle tanks with an Israeli-developed active protection system (APS) called the Trophy earlier this month.
Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of America’s enemies quite like the sight of an M1 Abrams tank rumbling in their direction. It is a supremely lethal machine, equipped with a 120mm smoothbore cannon that can turn a man to mist from up to three kilometers away. And those lucky or quick enough to escape that particular fate still have the Abram’s .50 caliber and M240 machine gun turrets to contend with.
The M1 Abrams main battle tank may be the most iconic armored combat vehicle in the Department of Defense’s arsenal, but it’s far from the most maneuverable. Although far more mobile and flexible than the M60 it replaced back in 1980 and capable of hauling ass at 30 mph on rugged terrain, the Abrams is more known for its imposing firepower and armor. It’s not suited for a downrange performance of Swan Lake.
