The M1A2 Abrams Tank is still a formidable force: Weapon of the week

Ryan Robertson

A FEW WEEKS BACK, WE PROFILED THE CHALLENGER 3, GREAT BRITAIN’S NEXT-GEN MAIN BATTLE TANK. SO, IN THE SPIRIT OF EQUAL TIME, WE FIGURED WE WERE DUE A PROFILE OF AMERICA’S FRONTLINE BATTLE TANK…

THE M1A2 ABRAMS. 

THIS THIRD-GENERATION MAIN BATTLE TANK HAS BEEN IN SERVICE IN ONE VARIANT OR ANOTHER SINCE 1980 AND REMAINS AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR FOR THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.

ORIGINALLY BUILT BY CHRYSLER DEFENSE, 

NOW GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS, 

THE M1A2’s ORIGINAL INCARNATION, THE M-1, FIRST ROLLED OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE IN 1980. 

FIVE YEARS LATER, THE UPGRADED M1A1 VARIANT ENTERED THE PICTURE, WITH BOTH EVENTUALLY SEEING ACTION IN OPERATION DESERT STORM.

TWO YEARS LATER, THE M1A2 JOINED THE FRAY.

BUILT FOR A CREW OF FOUR, THE M1A2 BROUGHT SOME NEW TECH TO THE FIGHT, NOTABLY THERMAL IMAGING, A COMPUTERIZED FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM, AND REACTIVE ARMOR. 

TIPPING THE SCALES AT NEARLY 70 TONS, THIS VERSION OF THE ABRAMS BOASTS A BIT MORE FIREPOWER. 

LIKE THE 120MM SMOOTHBORE CANNON CAPABLE OF BRINGING A WIDE VARIETY OF AMMUNITION TO THE FIGHT AND CAN EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE TARGETS AT THREE TO FOUR KILOMETERS… OR A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO AND A HALF MILES. 

AND, OH YEAH, IT’S ALSO EQUIPPED WITH TWO M-240 MACHINE GUNS AND A .50 CAL M2. 

RECENT UPGRADES INCLUDE A COMMANDER’S WEAPONS STATION WITH A THERMAL VIEWER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TURRET AND AN INTER-VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS CREWS TO STAY IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

THEN THERE’S THE ARMOR. THE M1A2 SEP-V-3 IS CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING HITS FROM R-P-Gs AND EVEN ANTI-TANK MISSILES IN SOME SCENARIOS. THE LATEST UPGRADES ALSO GIVE IT SUPERIOR SHOOT-ON-THE-MOVE FIREPOWER AND JOINT INTER-OPERABILITY. 

POWERED BY A HIGH-SPEED TURBINE ENGINE, THAT’S RIGHT, A JET ENGINE, 

THE M1A2 HAS A RANGE OF 300 MILES AND IS CAPABLE OF HITTING 42 MILES PER HOUR ON THE OPEN ROAD OR 30 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HEADED CROSS-COUNTRY, 

WHILE IT’S NO ONE’S IDEA OF A FUEL-EFFICIENT PIECE OF THE ARMY’S WAR-FIGHTING ARSENAL, ITS FIREPOWER, AND HEAVY ARMOR ENSURES THE ABRAMS STILL HOLDS A SIGNIFICANT PLACE IN ARMORED WARFARE.