U.S. Army awards $4.6 billion contract for newest M1 Abrams tank variant

[Zarvan]

Photo by Sgt. Calab Franklin

The U.S. Army Contracting Command has awarded a contract worth nearly $4.6 billion to General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. for production of the latest version of Abrams main battle tanks, the U.S. Department of Defense announced this week.

Abrams-maker General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a $4,6 billion contract to produce the M1A2 Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) version 3 (v3) main battle tanks, according to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements.
Under the terms of the agreement, work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 17, 2028.


The latest version of iconic U.S. Army main battle tank, also known as the M1A2C, is the third version of the M1A2 System Enhancement Package Abrams tanks.

The list of improvements is lengthy: improved fire control electronics mean the SEPv3’s gun can shoot faster and more accurately; the engine, drivetrain, and tracks have been updated for higher performance and to support the platform’s weight increase.

The newest Abrams is also more heavily armored than previous versions, which necessitates improvements in the power system and suspension.

M1A2 SEPV3 version rectifies many of space, weight and power issues identified during Operation Iraqi Freedom and will be the foundational variant for all future incremental upgrades. In addition to having improved survivability, the Abrams V3 can host any mature technology the Army deems operationally relevant.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

U.S. Army awards $4.6 billion contract for newest M1 Abrams tank variant (defence-blog.com)

 

[Titanium100]

Tanks are a dying breed

 

[That Guy]

Tanks are a dying breed

Not really...

 

[Titanium100]

Not really...

They are still used but not that effective anymore. They can easily turn into a burial place for 3 people

 

[That Guy]

They are still used but not that effective anymore. They can easily turn into a burial place for 3 people

If you're referring to what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh, then you're mistaken. Azerbaijan had complete control of the air, so Armenian tanks were sitting ducks. If Armenia could challenge Azerbaijan's air superiority, then tanks would have been the most vital asset to either side.

Compare that to a war between, say Pakistan and India, and you'll get different results. Both Pakistan and India have strong air forces, so tanks aren't as vulnerable to air strikes, as they'll likely be provided with a strong air cover from their respective air forces.

Tanks would be used to punch through enemy lines, giving infantry vital cover to push forward.

Tanks aren't going anywhere.

If they were absolete, then militaries around the world wouldn't be continuing to develop and use them.

Trust me, military strategists aren't stupid, it's their job to look at future battle space scenarios, and see what their military does and doesn't need.

 

[Titanium100]

If you're referring to what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh, then you're mistaken. Azerbaijan had complete control of the air, so Armenian tanks were sitting ducks. If Armenia could challenge Azerbaijan's air superiority, then tanks would have been the most vital asset to either side.

Compare that to a war between, say Pakistan and India, and you'll get different results. Both Pakistan and India have strong air forces, so tanks aren't as vulnerable to air strikes, as they'll likely be provided with a strong air cover from their respective air forces.

Tanks would be used to punch through enemy lines, giving infantry vital cover to push forward.

Tanks aren't going anywhere.

If they were absolete, then militaries around the world wouldn't be continuing to develop and use them.

Trust me, military strategists aren't stupid, it's their job to look at future battle space scenarios, and see what their military does and doesn't need.

Every soldier could be carrying his own anti-tank weapon and war-heads. Forget about aerial threat. It wouldn't be smart to use tanks to smash thru defense lines as you said. They will only enter to their death.

Maybe 20-30 years ago tanks would have been great and decisive factor but not anymore but however still useful but it has to be used with caution and targetting with other tanks putting them behind your army and must certainly not to smash into defensive lines

 

[That Guy]

Every soldier could be carrying his own anti-tank weapon and war-heads. Forget about aerial threat. It wouldn't be smart to use tanks to smash thru defense lines as you said. They will only enter to their death.

That's not true. Such weapons already exist and tend to be 1 per squad, and even then we're talking about extremely rich nations like the US. Most nations won't be able to afford such weapons on a large enough scale.

Plus, the problem with them is that they can be countered by modern systems, which a number of nations either already use (Israel's trophy system), or are working on (China, Russia...etc).

Maybe 20-30 years ago tanks would have been great and decisive factor but not anymore but however still useful but it has to be used with caution and targetting with other tanks putting them behind your army and must certainly not to smash into defensive lines

Once again, not true. I have no idea where you're getting this idea from, but its incorrect.

Just like how body armor didn't become obsolete because bullets exist, it just changed material from steel to kevlar.

Tanks aren't going anywhere.

 

[Oldman1]

Every soldier could be carrying his own anti-tank weapon and war-heads. Forget about aerial threat. It wouldn't be smart to use tanks to smash thru defense lines as you said. They will only enter to their death.

Maybe 20-30 years ago tanks would have been great and decisive factor but not anymore but however still useful but it has to be used with caution and targetting with other tanks putting them behind your army and must certainly not to smash into defensive lines

Sorry but thats like saying with the invention of SAMs, jet aircraft became obsolete. Nobody can fly over enemy territory, etc. As Thatguy said, with the invention of APS system, it makes it harder to hit tanks with atgms.