The upgrade also features more firepower and better armor. This upgrade is about lethality, protection, and survivability. The SEP in M1A2 SEPv3 stands for System Enhanced Package. Last December, General Dynamic got another contract for upgrades worth nearly $100 million from the Army. The first delivery order is valued at an estimated $406 million. General Dynamics won a $4.6 billion contract in 2020 to improve the M1A2 SEPv3 version with an estimated completion date of June 2028. The improvements of the M1A2 include the Improved Commander’s Weapon Station, the Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV), an Inter-Vehicular Information System (IVIS), Position/Navigation System (POS/NAV). It provides improved battle systems and survivability over the M1A1. The M1A2, has remained the workhorse of the Army. Only nine were destroyed entirely and there were no casualties to the tank crewmen.

The Americans lost only 18 Abrams tanks during the short campaign, with nine removed from the battlefield because of damages. Then Chrysler Defense merged with General Dynamics Land Systems Division in 1979.īy the first Gulf War, the M1A1 Abrams was ready for combat against various Russian tanks in the Iraqi Army such as the T-55, T-62, and the T-72. But the Chrysler Defense version was chosen for further development. The GM design did not cut the mustard and was considered too expensive. The first prototypes came from Chrysler Defense and General Motors and were tested in 1976. The new tank became known as the XM1 Abrams. The Army later re-named the XM815 after General Creighton Abrams who led the Army from 1968 to 1972 during the Vietnam War. The XM815 program was instituted to replace the M60 tank. The origins of the M1 Abrams tank dates back to the 1970s. Hard to Believe the M1 Abrams Has Been At It So Long For these reasons and others that I will examine, it has to be considered the best tank ever. It is fast and maneuverable compared to other tanks in its class. The platform has been steadfastly upgraded over the years.

It was a stalwart during both wars in Iraq – probably the most combat-tested in the world. The M1 Abrams: what is it about this tank that keeps you coming back for more?

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