The Army is preparing to receive delivery of
its first of six newly-upgraded MIA2 SEP v3 Abrams Main Battle Tank pilot tank
vehicles -- specifically engineered to keep pace
Scout Warrior - Oct 7, 10:24 AM
The Army has received delivery of its first
of six newly-upgraded MIA2 SEP v3 Abrams Main Battle Tank pilot tank vehicles
-- specifically engineered to keep pace with fast changing technology and
counter major armored warfare threats for decades to come.
The Army is now building the next versions of the Abrams tank
– an effort which advances on-board power, electronics, computing,
sensors, weapons and protection to address the prospect of massive, mechanized,
force-on-force great power land war in coming decades, officials with the
Army’s Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems told Scout Warrior.
By Kris Osborn
The first MIA2 SEP v3 tank, built by General Dynamics
Land Systems, is slated to arrive as soon as this month – as part of a delivery
of initial prototype vehicles, developers said.
“The Army's ultimate intent is to upgrade the entire
fleet of M1A2 vehicles -- at this time, over 1,500 tanks,” Ashley Givens,
spokeswoman for PEO GCS, told Scout Warrior.
The first v3 pilot vehicles will feature technological
advancements in communications, reliability, sustainment and fuel efficiency
and upgraded armor.
This current mobility and power upgrade, among other
things, adds an auxiliary power unit for fuel efficiency and on-board
electrical systems, improved armor materials, upgraded engines and transmission
and a 28-volt upgraded drive system.
“The Abrams has been around since early 80s, and
the original designers were forward thinking to build in the provisions for
continual upgrade. Over the years, there have been significant improvements in
sensor capabilities, power generation, mobility, lethality, survivability,
armor and situational awareness,” Donald Kotchman, Vice President, Tracked
Combat Vehicles, General Dynamics Land Systems, told Scout Warrior in an
interview.
In addition to receiving a common high-resolution display
for gunner and commander stations, some of the current electronics, called Line
Replaceable Units, will be replaced with new Line Replaceable Modules including
the commander’s display unit, driver’s control panel, gunner’s control panel,
turret control unit and a common high-resolution display, developers from
General Dynamics Land Systems say.
Facilitating
continued upgrades, innovations and modernization efforts for the Abrams in
years to come is the principle rationale upon which the Line Replacement
Modules is based. It encompasses the much-discussed “open architecture”
approach wherein computing standards, electronics, hardware and software
systems can efficiency be integrated with new technologies as they emerge.
Kotchman added
that moving to Line Replaceable Modules vastly improves computing capacity,
power distribution and fire-control technology for the Abrams.
“The principle
difference between the Line Replaceable Unit and Module is modularity.
Currently to initiate a repair or an upgrade of a LRU, you must remove the
entire unit from the tank, take it to a test bench and make the changes. Under
the Line Replaceable Module concept, internal diagnostics isolates and
determines failure at the card level. The card has been constructed such that
you can remove it and replace it without damaging it,” Kotchman said.
“Similarly, when new capability is introduced or increased computing power is
required, changes can be made at the card level rather than redesigning the
entire unit.”
This M1A2 SEP v3 effort also initiates the integration of
upgraded ammunition data links and electronic warfare devices such as the
Counter Remote Controlled Improvised Explosive Device – Electronic Warfare –
CREW. An increased AMPs alternator is also part of this upgrade, along with
Ethernet cables designed to better network vehicle sensors together.
The Abrams is also expected to get an advanced
force-tracking system which uses GPS technology to rapidly update digital
moving map displays with icons showing friendly and enemy force positions.
The system, called Joint Battle Command Platform, uses an
extremely fast Blue Force Tracker 2 Satcom network able to reduce latency and
massively shorten refresh time. Having rapid force-position updates in a
fast-moving combat circumstance, quite naturally, could bring decisive
advantages in both mechanized and counterinsurgency warfare.
The GDLS development deal also advances a commensurate
effort to design and construct and even more advanced M1A2 SEP v4 Abrams tank
variant for the 2020s and beyond. The v4 is designed to be more lethal, better
protected, equipped with new sensors and armed with upgraded, more effective
weapons, service officials said.
“The current M1A2 SEPv3 production will transition to the
v4 configuration in 2023. The v4 upgrade is currently scheduled to begin
production in 2023 with fielding in 2025,” Givens said.
The Army-GDLS deal is also the first contract is for
SEPv4 upgrades, which include the Commander’s Primary Sight, an improved
Gunner’s Primary Sight and enhancements to sensors, lethality and
survivability.
“General Dynamics Land Systems will deliver seven
prototype M1A2 SEPv4 tanks to the Army. The contract has an initial value of
$311 million,” a company statement said.
Advanced networking technology with next-generation
sights, sensors, targeting systems and digital networking technology -- are all
key elements of an ongoing upgrade to position the platform to successfully
engage in combat against rapidly emerging threats, such as the prospect of
confronting a Russian T-14 Armata or Chinese 3rd generation Type 99 tank.
The SEP v4 variant, slated to being testing in 2021, will
include new laser rangefinder technology, color cameras, integrated on-board
networks, new slip-rings, advanced meteorological sensors, ammunition data
links, laser warning receivers and a far more lethal, multi-purpose 120mm tank
round, Army developers told Scout Warrior.
While Army officials explain that many of the details of
the next-gen systems for the future tanks are not available for security
reasons, Army developers did explain that the lethality upgrade, referred to as
an Engineering Change Proposal, or ECP, is centered around the integration of a
higher-tech 3rd generation FLIR – Forward Looking Infrared imaging sensor.
The advanced FLIR uses higher resolution and digital
imaging along with an increased ability to detect enemy signatures at farther
ranges through various obscurants such as rain, dust or fog, Army official
said.
Improved FLIR technologies help tank crews better
recognize light and heat signatures emerging from targets such as enemy
sensors, electronic signals or enemy vehicles. This enhancement provides an
additional asset to a tank commander’s independent thermal viewer.
Rear view sensors and laser detection systems are part of
these v4 upgrades as well. Also, newly configured meteorological sensors will
better enable Abrams tanks to anticipate and adapt to changing weather or
combat conditions more quickly, Army officials said.
“Meteorological sensors are being integrated into the
fire control system. It provides information into fire control algorithms that
help increase the accuracy and precision of your weapon system,” Givens added.
The emerging M1A2 SEP v4 will also be configured with a
new slip-ring leading to the turret and on-board ethernet switch to reduce the
number of needed “boxes” by networking sensors to one another in a single
vehicle.
Advanced Multi-Purpose Round
The M1A2 SEP v4 will carry Advanced Multi-Purpose 120mm
ammunition round able to combine a variety of different rounds into a single
tank round.
The AMP round will replace four tank rounds now in use.
The first two are the M830, High Explosive Anti-Tank, or HEAT, round and the
M830A1, Multi-Purpose Anti -Tank, or MPAT, round.
The latter round was introduced in 1993 to engage and
defeat enemy helicopters, specifically the Russian Hind helicopter, Army
developers explained. The MPAT round has
a two-position fuse, ground and air, that must be manually set, an Army
statement said.
The M1028 Canister round is the third tank round being
replaced. The Canister round was first introduced in 2005 by the Army to engage
and defeat dismounted Infantry, specifically to defeat close-in human-wave
assaults. Canister rounds disperse a wide-range of scattering small projectiles
to increase anti-personnel lethality and, for example, destroy groups of
individual enemy fighters.
The M908, Obstacle Reduction round, is the fourth that
the AMP round will replace; it was designed to assist in destroying large
obstacles positioned on roads by the enemy to block advancing mounted forces,
Army statements report.
AMP also provides two additional capabilities: defeat of
enemy dismounts, especially enemy anti-tank guided missile, or ATMG, teams at a
distance, and breaching walls in support of dismounted Infantry operations
A new ammunition data link will help tank crews determine
which round is best suited for a particular given attack.
Overall, these lethality and mobility upgrades represent
the best effort by the Army to maximize effectiveness and lethality of its
current Abrams tank platform. The idea is to leverage the best possible
modernization upgrades able to integrate into the existing vehicle. Early
conceptual discussion and planning is already underway to build models for a
new future tank platform to emerge by the 2030s – stay with Scout Warrior for
an upcoming report on this effort.
Active Protection Systems
As part of this broad effort to accelerate Abrams
technological advancement into future decades, the Army is fast-tracking an
emerging technology for Abrams tanks designed to give combat vehicles an
opportunity to identify, track and destroy approaching enemy rocket-propelled
grenades in a matter of milliseconds, service officials said.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance the protection
provided on our combat vehicles and we recognize Active Protection Systems as
one of our highest priorities towards this end,” Givens said.
Active Protection Systems, or APS, is a technology which
uses sensors and radar, computer processing, fire control technology and
interceptors to find, target and knock down or intercept incoming enemy fire
such as RPGs and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, or ATGMs.
Systems of this kind have been in development for many
years, however the rapid technological progress of enemy tank rounds, missiles
and RPGs is leading the Army to more rapidly test and develop APS for its fleet
of Abrams tanks.
The Army is looking at a range of domestically produced
and allied international solutions from companies participating in the Army's
Modular Active Protection Systems (MAPS) program, an Army official told Scout
Warrior.
Related post:
M1A2 Abrams Battle Tank
Variants:
– M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package): Has upgraded 3rd generation depleted uranium armor components with graphite coating (240 new built, 300 M1A2s upgraded to M1A2SEP for the USA, also unknown numbers of upgraded basic M1s and M1IPs, also 400 oldest M1A1s upgraded to M1A2SEP).
– M1A2 SEP V2: includes improved displays, sights, power, and a tank-infantry phone. It represents the most technologically advanced Abrams tank and can accommodate future technology improvements to ensure compatibility with the Army’s Future Combat Systems.
– M1A2 SEP V3: improvement in lethality for the Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 derives from the combination of developmental upgrades and the addition of mature technologies that include the Ammunition DataLink (ADL), improved 120mm ammunition, Improved Forward-Looking Infrared (IFLIR) and the low-profile (LP) Common Remotely Operated Weapon System (CROWS).
The main armament of M1A2 SEP V3 includes one 120 mm
smoothbore M256 cannon. The tank will be fitted with a Low Profile (LP) CROW
(Common Remotely Operated Weapon System). This effort improves the tank
commander’s situational awareness without compromising capability. LP CROWS
significantly lowers the profile of the weapon station, returning both open-
and closed-hatch fields of view (FOV)
M1A2 SEP V3 - Image: From the net
Armament
One 120 mm M256 smoothbore gun, one coaxial 7.62 mm M240 MG, CROWS II Remotely Operated Weapon Station with 12.7mm machine gun, one 7.62 mm M240 machine gun
Designer Country
United States
Accessories
Second generation infared sight system,auxiliary power, high-resolution color displays, Improved Forward-Looking Infrared, Ammunition DataLink
Second generation infared sight system,auxiliary power, high-resolution color displays, Improved Forward-Looking Infrared, Ammunition DataLink
Crew 4
Armor
New armour package for hull and turret to increase protection against IED threats.
Armor
New armour package for hull and turret to increase protection against IED threats.
Speed
68 km/h
68 km/h
Dimensions
Length: 9.77 m; Width: 3.7 m; Height: 2.4 m
Length: 9.77 m; Width: 3.7 m; Height: 2.4 m
Source: sofmag.com
A Russian View On The M1A2 SEP V3 "Abrams" MBT
Published on Sep 5, 2016
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