General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., part of General Dynamics global aerospace and defense corporation, was awarded a new contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Command for M1A2 Abrams engineering, manufacturing, design, and production.
Citing a contract announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Recognition reported that General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $93 million fixed-price-incentive contract for iconic Abrams tank production.
The M1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT) was developed in the mid-1970s to replace the aging M60 MBT.
As part of the U.S. Army’s “Big 5” weapons platforms, the M1 Abrams was developed to fight a defensive battle in Western Europe against overwhelming numbers of Soviet and Warsaw Pact T-72 tanks.
According to the U.S. Army website, the Abrams is a full-tracked, low-profile, land combat assault weapon possessing unmatched survivability, shoot-on-the-move lethality and a high degree of maneuverability.
“The Abrams tank sends a message to those who would oppose the United States as to the resolve, capability and might of the U.S. Army,” the service said on its website.
The M1A2 SEPv3, the latest variant in production, is concluding testing. It will be followed by another variant, the M1A2 SEPv4, which is in initial development.