September 11, 2021
The Army Should Milk the Abrams Tank for All It’s Worth
Until a revolution in materials is realized, the Army needs to exploit the potential resident in the Abrams.
by Dan Goure
Here's What You Need to Remember: The Army should begin a program to develop a new version of the Abrams, the A3. This program should have two goals. First and foremost, reduce the weight of the Abrams tanks. Second, make the Abrams as much a sensor platform as a shooter.
The U.S. Army is on an intensive quest for an array of new technologies with which to design and build new armored fighting vehicles, particularly a replacement for the long-serving Bradley. However much it might yearn for a new tank, the Army lacks the critical technologies that would justify the time and expense pursuing such an objective. Moreover, it doesn’t need to make the effort. The Army’s current main battle tank, the Abrams, is the tank of the future.
The Army is just beginning to receive the first of the latest Abrams upgrade, the System Enhancement Package Version 3 (SEPv3), with additional upgrades in development. Instead of searching for the elusive Holy Grail of ultralight armor or laser weapons, technologies that would justify building a brand new tank, the Army would be best served by aggressively pursuing a major redesign and improvement program for the Abrams, an M1A3.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/army-should-milk-abrams-tank-all-it%E2%80%99s-worth-193436
