The U.S. Army has revealed new details about the latest version of America’s iconic main battle tank, called the M1A2C Abrams.
In an interview for FOX 10, Yuma Proving Ground’s test engineer Robert Wilson said that the upgrade of a new version of Abrams tank includes a new machine gun for the tank commander, improved fire control, with the crew being able to set the distance it wants a shell to explode, better infrared sights, and a new power unit that allows the tank to power communications and sensors without running its 1,500 horsepower gas turbine engine.
The list of improvements is lengthy: improved fire control electronics mean the M1A2C’s gun can shoot faster and more accurately; the engine, drivetrain, and tracks have been updated for higher performance and to support the platform’s weight increase.
“The sheer power of it moving over 70 tons, no problem,” said Wilson. “You can obviously see in the videos, it takes off like nothing.”
Earlier this year was reported that rhis version rectifies many of the space, weight and power issues identified during Operation Iraqi Freedom and will be the foundational variant for all future incremental upgrades. In addition to having improved survivability, the Abrams M1A2C can host any mature technology the Army deems operationally relevant. Improvements focus on increasing the electrical power margin, Vehicle Health Management Systems, integrated counter-improvised explosive device protection, a new Auxiliary Power Unit, embedded training and an ammunition data link.
It is the most reliable Abrams tank ever produced, will decrease the Army’s logistic burden, and leads the Army in enterprise-level connectivity to maintenance and supply systems.
Some sources reported that new the latest version of Abrams will be fitted with a cutting-edge active protection system for tanks eliminates enemy threats, such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank guided missiles.