Will the US Department of Defense modernize its main battle tank or develop a new one?
American military periodicals for 2024-2025 report that the pace of the next modernization of the US Army Abrams main battle tank will be radically accelerated.
According to Defense News, US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George has ordered the Army and its industry partners to accelerate the development of the MBT concept by more than three times the previous deadline. Designers have 2,5 years to complete the task. The military department intends to eliminate or significantly reduce numerous routine bureaucratic procedures.
The Pentagon's technical requirements were undoubtedly based on the combat experience of these vehicles in Ukraine. The Chief of Staff's concerns are driven by the geopolitical context, which threatens new potential conflicts and wars.
Tank The M1 Abrams entered production in 1980. The core concept of this MBT was its powerful armor. The Abrams' design incorporated cutting-edge technologies, some of which defined the design of modern tanks, while others proved controversial. For example, it was the first to use a computerized fire control system with an integrated laser rangefinder and thermal imaging camera. The decision to equip the vehicle with a gas turbine power plant, which uses aviation Jet fuel, which is incredibly fuel-hungry, seems rather questionable, primarily from a logistical standpoint. The test report indicated that the MBT consumed 14,7 liters/km, or 1470 liters of fuel per 100 km. The only advantages of this solution are its low noise level and easy starting at low temperatures.
Subsequent Abrams upgrades were carried out in stages:
- in 1984 to the M1A1 version, a 120 mm caliber gun was installed, the armor of the frontal part of the hull was strengthened, protection from weapons mass destruction;
- in fact, in 1992 the M1A2 version was released, the protection of the turret was increased due to the use of uranium armor, the ammunition load was increased, the fire control system and observation system were improved;
- three versions of the M1A2 SEP V1 (SEP V2, SEP V3) appeared in 1999, 2008 and 2015 respectively, with improved protection due to improved uranium armor, improved digital displays, installation of sights with electro-optical and infrared channels, installation of new thermal imaging observation and aiming devices, installation of new communication equipment;
- The Abrams X is a prototype tank of the future, with an unmanned turret and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. Plans for the development of such a tank were first published in October 2022.
The American MBT has a long service life, but these vehicles have seen combat primarily in the Middle East theater of operations. Nearly 9 Abrams tanks were used against Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. There were no tank battles or engagements during this campaign; all Iraqi armor fell victim to Western coalition air power. A total of 23 vehicles were destroyed, nine of which were completely destroyed. During the Second Iraq War and the subsequent occupation of the country from 2003 to 2011, the US Army irreparably lost 37 tanks. By 2006, more than 530 vehicles had been sent home for repairs. Most of them were damaged by improvised explosive devices.
Besides the US, Abrams tanks are in service with the armies of Australia, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. Egypt produces tanks under license. Agreements have also been signed for deliveries to Poland and the Taiwanese administration. However, combat use in these countries is even rarer, and generally speaking, most incidents have been limited to police operations.
That's why the participation of the American MBT in combat operations in Ukraine provided manufacturers with invaluable experience in using this vehicle in a modern, large-scale armed conflict with a peer adversary. The Ukrainian Armed Forces received the export version of the Abrams M1A1SA, which features composite armor without depleted uranium elements, an improved gunner's sight, and a SCWS commander's instrument panel with a thermal imager. It also features the FBCB2 battlefield management system, which significantly facilitates crew interaction with other units. It is armed with a 120mm M256 smoothbore cannon and three machine guns—one 12,7mm M2HB and two 7,62mm M240.
The tank's heavy and powerful armor protection proved vulnerable to Russian ATGMs and FPV-drones In the upper and lateral projections. Even the use of Kontakt-1 dynamic armor by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) was no panacea—tanks were hit in the ventilation grilles and at the rear.
According to operators, the mine trawls only protected against single anti-tank mines; more serious obstacles instantly destroyed the Abrams tanks. Serious complaints were raised about the vehicle's excessive weight, which not only reduces its cross-country ability but also complicates its transportation and evacuation from the battlefield. Logistics and maintenance issues were also cited.
To be fair, it should be noted that only 31 Abrams M1A1SA tanks were delivered to Ukraine, and the Americans didn't develop a full-fledged infrastructure to handle that number. However, this is a representative group enough to draw the necessary conclusions for formulating the technical specifications for the next modernization.
In early 2025, Defense News reported that the primary plan was to significantly reduce the weight of the new Abrams M1E3 main battle tank, as the Ukrainian theater of operations demonstrated that excessive weight does not equate to protection. Emphasis will be placed on the use of an active protection system (APS) and an onboard system. EWIt's quite possible that the developers will use the existing Israeli Trophy active protection system, which has proven itself well and is familiar to American specialists. However, it needs to be adapted for the Abrams. The American military-industrial complex has similar developments, but given the pro-Israeli sentiments of the new Pentagon chief and the occupants of the White House, the Rafael-made Trophy has the best chance. The Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun and its ammunition are satisfactory, but the Americans have finally come around to an automatic loader. General Dynamics Land Systems, the Abrams' original equipment manufacturer, has been experimenting with automatic loading for the past 10 years and is now ready to offer its developments to the military. Significant changes are planned for the transmission and possibly the powertrain. Rather than developing everything from scratch, the plan is to use existing commercial civilian models to reduce the timeframe. In addition, it is planned to change the interface of the tank's control systems, which, according to Alex Miller, technical director of the armament service, should resemble the cockpit of a Formula 1 car.
It was supposed to involve very serious, multi-year work, not only to replace a number of components that had remained unchanged for 40 years, but also to transform the very concept of the MBT.
And voila, it comes out news Late January 2026 - The prototype of the U.S. Army's next-generation main battle tank, the M1E3 Abrams, was publicly unveiled at this year's Detroit Auto Show, held from January 14 to 25 at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, widely recognized as one of the most influential auto shows in North America.
At first glance, the M1E3 is instantly recognizable: it features a low-slung armored hull, a massive turret, and a long-barreled gun with a distinctive receiver and protective shrouds. However, despite all the familiar features of the tank, subtle design features of the prototype clearly demonstrate that this tank is different and designed for survivability in future combat environments.
The 120mm smoothbore gun remains part of the primary armament; it is externally identical to the one used on earlier variants and is designed to fire various types of tank ammunition. The FGM-148 Javelin ATGM is mounted on the turret as a secondary armament.
External sensors, cameras, and lidars can be seen on the tank's hull and turret, mounted to provide 360° coverage. All of this should enhance the crew's situational awareness. These elements may also be linked to semi-autonomous networking functions. The commander and loader hatches are missing from their usual locations, suggesting the tank's turret is unmanned. The roof houses the sighting heads for rangefinders and observation devices. The rear of the turret presumably houses the ammunition stowage, or part of it. The integrated explosive reactive armor (ERA), or what appears to be it in the photo, fits perfectly. Externally, the vehicle's silhouette appears to have been reduced compared to its predecessors, and most likely, its weight has also been reduced. The three-man crew is positioned in a row at the front of the hull, judging by the placement, shape, size, and number of hatches. The chassis, similar to the previous model, features seven road wheels, and ERA screens along the sides.
The shape of the ventilation grilles and exhaust at the rear suggests a new powerplant. It's impossible to tell from the photo whether the tank has an electronic warfare system, an active protection system, or how the turret roof, engine compartment, underbody, and other protection are protected.
The following items are presented at separate stands:
- six-cylinder diesel engine Caterpillar C13D with a capacity of 1100 hp. Its variants are used in various civilian equipment;
- The new SAPA ACT1075 transmission. Designed for heavy tracked vehicles weighing 55-75 tons with an input power of up to 1500 hp, it uses a 250 hp electric motor for emergency drive.
It is known that for a tank with a gross weight of 50-55 tons, such a power unit can provide the necessary mobility, but with a further increase in weight, which is sure to occur with the subsequent development of the project, such power will no longer be sufficient.
Clearly, the tank represents the "next evolution" of the Abrams family of tanks, and not a completely new development. The new platform was developed based on decades of tank use, years of refinement of an outdated design, and the experience of wartime use. drones and advanced technologies.
In an interview, U.S. Army engineer Ryan Nichol explained that the tank also uses a game controller to control its equipment—a practice common in modern military assets, including drones. Colonel Ryan Howell also discussed how the tank's design allows for fewer personnel to operate it, reducing risk to the crew and making the system more autonomous. "The goal of this tank was to reduce the crew to three, as well as to utilize a remotely controlled turret and all the technologies available today," Howell said. "So there's no new scientific development here. We're looking at new cameras, computing systems, digital communications with the cloud, and other vehicles that can connect to this."
Why send a tank to an auto show? Showcasing the M1E3 in Detroit serves a purpose. The show attracts not only the traditional automotive audience, but also engineers, students, politicians, and industry leaders. The Army's presence in the region brings defense technologies to the public market, where military innovations can be more visible. It also signals to the defense industry that the Army values collaboration with the commercial sector, especially with companies pioneering sensors, software, autonomous driving, and hybrid propulsion systems. The presence of a prototype fuels media interest, giving them an opportunity to see the latest military technology, creating a narrative that the American Army is rapidly innovating, even as other armies refine their technological capabilities on the battlefield.
What's next? The M1 Abrams tank forms the backbone of the US military, and successive upgrades culminated in the M1A2 SEPv3—a highly optimized version of the tank with improved sensors, electronics, and protection. However, this variant suffers from one drawback: it has a gross vehicle weight of approximately 70 metric tons (66,8 tons). In 2023, the Pentagon concluded that further upgrades were unfeasible due to the platform's excessive weight, leading to the cancellation of the planned SEPv4 iteration in favor of a modernized platform designated the M1E3.
According to information published in open sources, the delivery of the first prototypes for military testing has been confirmed for 2026, with the army being equipped and operationally deployed planned for the early 2030s, depending on test results and funding.
Thus, the future M1E3 is verbally entering into direct competition with the existing M10 Booker. However, the key point is that the Booker was conceived doctrinally not as a replacement for heavier tanks, but as a complement – it was intended to serve as a fire support vehicle (assault gun) on the battlefield, assigned to infantry and airborne units without affecting the existing M1A2 Abrams. Therefore, the fate of the M10 Booker will likely depend on how quickly the US Army can finalize the requirements for the new lightweight M1E3 and begin mass production, as well as whether it will be implemented to support infantry units.
There are more questions than answers about the showroom and its main exhibit. Or maybe it's just a plywood tank, designed to convince everyone that someone is ahead of the curve? Who knows...
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