it has been quite three years since the military first took delivery of the primary of its souped-up
remake of the M1 Abrams main battle tank, and therefore the service clearly likes what it sees.
The Department of Defense announced on Friday that the military has awarded a monster $4.62
billion contract to defense giant General Dynamics Land Systems to supply M1A2 SEPv3 tanks
for the service over subsequent eight years.
The announcement didn't specify exactly what percentage fresh Abrams tanks the service plans on
procuring under the contract, although it does stipulate that employment locations and funding "will be
determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 17, 2028."
Also referred to as the M1A2C, the new Abrams variant "rectifies many of the space, weight and
power issues identified during Operation Iraqi Freedom and can be the foundational variant for
all future incremental upgrades," consistent with the military .
Outfitted with fresh survivability enhancements and a replacement power grid , the SEPv3 purportedly
boasts improved main gun accuracy with "smart cannon" munitions programmable over data
link and reinforced armor bolstered by a built-in jammer to counter radio-triggered improvised
explosive devices.
As of February 2019, the SEPv3 upgrade also included the Israeli-developed Trophy HV hard-kill
active protection systems that use radar to detect incoming missiles and rockets then fires tiny
projectiles to intercept them.
consistent with the military , the M1A2 SEPv3's full improvements include the mixing of the US
military's Joint Tactical Radio System, highly improved power generation and distribution, a line
replaceable modules design for improved maintenance, EW devices to counter
remote-controlled IEDs, and auxiliary electromagnetic unit , and significant ballistic armor upgrades.
"It is that the most reliable Abrams tank ever produced, will decrease the Army's logistic burden, and
leads the military in enterprise-level connectivity to maintenance and provide systems," according
to the service.
Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division were the primary to require possession of the SEPv3 back in May of this year.
the military hopes to eventually field up to 2,101 SEPv3 tanks under its Abrams Upgrade Program,
consistent with service budget documents published earlier this year.
The service accepted the primary of a few half-dozen initial production versions of the M1A2
SEPv3 Abrams back in October 2017.
the subsequent year, GDLS secured a military contract to upgrade 274 Abrams tanks — quite
three brigades worth — into the new SEPv3 configuration.
consistent with Army budget documents, the service had previously shelled out quite $13.3
billion for upwards of 1,700 SEPv3 upgrade packages since the beginning of the program back in 2015.
"The Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 is that the first during a series of latest or significantly improved vehicles that we
are going to be delivering to the Army's ABCTs," Maj. Gen. David Bassett, program military officer for
Ground Combat Systems, said when the primary prototypes rolled off the production line back in 2017.
"It may be a great breakthrough in reliability, sustainability, protection, and onboard power which
positions the Abrams tank and our ABCTs for the longer term ."
the military is already eyeing SEPv4 (or M1A2D) upgrades for testing, including "new laser
rangefinder technology, color cameras, integrated on-board networks, new slip-rings, advanced
meteorological sensors, ammunition data links, laser warning receivers and a much more lethal,
multi-purpose 120mm tank round," as Bassett told Warrior Maven back in 2016.
"This program began early enough to on-board any technology the military deems critical to the
future battlefield to incorporate AI , autonomy, APS or advanced sensors,"
consistent with the service.
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