Dave Majumdar
But even incremental development and improvement will mean that both the M1A2 SEPv.3 and the Bradley will remain potent machines. For example, the Army is currently working on developing new features such the Modular Active Protection Systems (MAPS), which will help improve both machines’ defenses against incoming missiles. Whether the Army’s incremental approach will be sufficient to keep pace with Russian and Chinese developments is yet to be seen—but in the current budgetary environment, it’s the best the Army can do.
The U.S. Army would develop next-generation replacements for its armored vehicles such as the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank and the Bradley fighting vehicle, but the service simply does not have the money for such projects.
Instead, the Army is incrementally improving its venerable armored combat vehicles to keep them relevant against a rapidly modernizing threat—the Russian Armata family of combat vehicles for example. The Army does have some concepts that it is developing for next generation combat vehicles—and the service might build prototypes—but there are no plans to bring any such machines into production.
“I’d love to have replacement programs today for Abrams and Bradley and lay in plans to go do that,” Maj. Gen. David Bassett, the U.S. Army’s program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems told reporters the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington on Oct. 4. “But it doesn’t fit in this portfolio in this budget environment.”
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-simply-scary-reason-the-us-army-cant-build-new-tank-20481
