General Dynamics to upgrade 786 Abrams main battle tanks

Armored combat vehicle experts at General Dynamics Corp. will upgrade as many as 786 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and vetronics to the most advanced M1A2 SEPv3 configuration under terms of a $2.6 billion contract announced in late December. Officials of the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Warren, Mich., are asking General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, Mich., to upgrade U.S. Army M1A1 tanks, as well as upgrade legacy M1A1 tanks to advanced versions for the armed forces of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank is the latest version of the M1 Abrams, and has increased power generation and distribution, better communications and networking, new vehicle health management system (VHMS), line replaceable modules (LRMs) for improved maintenance, and an ammunition datalink (ADL) to use airburst rounds. The M1A2 SEPv3 stands for system enhancement package version 3. This latest version of the M1A2 tank also offers an improved counter-improvised explosive device (IED) armor package, improved forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor using long- and mid-wave infrared, a low-profile Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS), and an auxiliary power unit (APU) under armor to run electronics without the engine running.