The current modernization of the Abrams tank will be the fourth after its adoption by the US Army. Abrams will receive new sights, an IVIS combat information and control system, improved turret armor, as well as new observation devices and a third-generation thermal camera integrated into the commander’s and gunner’s optical devices, which will increase target detection. December. The tank will also be equipped with color cameras.
“This is technology that will give tank crews the ability to identify enemy targets at greater distances than ever before,” the US military said in an official press release.
Earlier, it was reported that Poland intends to strengthen the tank fleet of its army by purchasing 250 modernized М1А2 Abrams of the third version – SEPv3 – from the USA. $4.74 billion deal Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase Abrams directly at the site of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade in Wesola. The State Department and the US Congress approved the sale. The vehicles will replace the Soviet T-72s.
Abrams tanks are considered not only the heaviest, but also one of the most expensive in the world. The US Army purchased SEPv3 on a contract for $5.5-6.1 million per unit from General Dynamics.
“Evaluating the merits of a particular tank is possible only by the results of its combat use. The Russian army has never met Abrams, but judging by its characteristics, this is a serious technique. With a powerful weapon, improved armor and guidance. Like any other armored vehicle, it is vulnerable to anti-tank weapons. During the war in Iraq, for example, several Abrams were hit by grenade launchers, retired Lieutenant General Anatoly Khrulev, a former commander of the 58th Army, told socialbites.ca.
The General noted two main advantages of the American tank – this is the rate of fire and the automatic fire control system. According to Khrulev, Abrams’ latest modernization is also moving towards improving these features – by improving navigation and aiming tools.
“Any tank consists of three components – a chassis on a tracked base, an armored turret and hull, as well as cannon-shaped guns and machine guns. It is impossible to think of anything else, as on a bicycle. It is only possible to turn all this into new possibilities,” Khrulev added.
In November 2021, the American portal Army Recognition reported that the fourth version of the Abrams “will have radical updates, it is planned to integrate an unmanned turret and other innovations into the tank.” According to open sources, the concept of an unmanned turret for Abramas has not yet been formally discussed by the Pentagon.
According to military expert Andrei Makhnenko, Abrams “practically improved” his modernization capabilities.
“It cannot be cured indefinitely. It will be just decoration. There are physical limits to improving the performance characteristics of any combat vehicle. The new camera will not make the tank faster or more maneuverable. In general, this is probably the last modernization of Abrams.
There was a lot of talk about such an uninhabited tower as the Russian “Armata”. But in this case, you have to change the entire design of the tank. It is easier to build a new one. The design of the Abrams tank is doomed. Not a competitor to the “Armata”. General Dynamics is currently working on the project of the GDLS MPF tank, in which there will be an uninhabited tower, ”said General Dynamics.
By contrast, reserve colonel Grigory Zuevich, a military expert, thinks Abrams was “too overrated” at first.
“This tank is mostly popular in Australia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and a number of countries in the Middle East. It is quite heavy and not very agile. Again, Abrams’ power reserve is limited. Suitable for local battles in open areas. These tanks should be delivered by railway and automobile platforms instead of hostilities, which reduces their effectiveness in deployment, ”Zuevich added.
Source: Gazeta
