The U.S. Army prepares for receiving of the first M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams battle tanks brigade, according to Mackenzi Klemann from The Lima News.
According to media reports in recent weeks, the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio is ramping up to deliver the service’s first full brigade of the latest variant of Abrams tanks to the U.S. Army.
“We’re in the throes of getting that together,” said Plant manager Hank Kenned pointing that the “first brigade is critical because we need to get (them) into the soldiers’ hands so they can get trained on it and everything else.”
The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, which is government-owned but operated by defense giant General Dynamics, got a huge boost earlier this year when the U.S. Army said it would spend $714 million to upgrade the M1A1 Abrams, the main battle tank used by the country’s armed forces.
With the bases version of Abrams tank, the latest M1A2 SEPv3 is now being mass produced at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima.
The newest version of the M1 Abrams tank is considered the most technologically advanced digital tank in the world with superior firepower, protection and mobility, Army’s officials said.
In a 2017 report, Maj. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems said: “These vehicles are not just about assuring our allies, or deterring or coercing potential adversaries. They are about compelling our enemies and winning the multi-domain battle.”
The M1A2 SEPv3 will be equipped Trophy APS that eliminates enemy threats, such as rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank guided missiles.
The SEPv3 measures 9.7m-long, 3.7m-wide and 2.4m-high, and is manned by a crew of four, including a driver, a commander, a loader and a gunner.