The AbramsX will be able to launch drones and remain well-protected against adversarial UAVs.
When it comes to tank warfare, the American-made M1 Abrams series is widely considered to rank among the best. The tried and trusted armored vehicle has served the Army’s armored corps for nearly five decades. Based on the expected upgrades set to be incorporated into the main battle tank (MBT) series down the line, the Abrams name may live on for decades to come. In fact, the latest variant under development to lead the family of tanks is the Abrams X. Equipped with a litany of futuristic capabilities, the upcoming MBT may be unstoppable.
An overview of the M1 Abrams family of tanks
The Abrams tank series is derived in part from a Cold War-era initiative launched between the United States and West Germany. Both desired a jointly designed tank model that could serve as an effective successor for the nations’ aging M60 and Leopard 1 MBTs, respectively. At the time, the Soviets’ T-62 MBT was widely viewed as a threat to its adversaries, making the requirement for a formidable counter-MBT design necessary. Although U.S. officials and their West German counterparts initially agreed on the design plan for the platform, budgetary constraints and other disagreements ultimately resulted in the collapse of the project. American engineers would focus their efforts on developing a solely domestic tank series, culminating in the Abrams.
Perhaps the most significant feature incorporated into the original M1 Abrams design was the Chobham composite armor. This sophisticated material made the MBT extremely challenging to penetrate and even made the tank nearly impervious to HEAT rounds and other shaped charges. A 120mm main gun, armor-piercing capabilities, and advanced tracking systems are also incorporated into the platform. The Abrams sports a 1,500-horsepower gas turbine engine which enables it to reach a top speed of 42 miles per hour with a range of over 260 miles.
Introducing the AbramsX
As the Abrams tank proved itself on the battlefield over the years, multiple successor variants equipped with enhanced capabilities were introduced. The AbramsX tank design is the newest to be conceptualized by General Dynamics Land Systems. First revealed back in 2022, this futuristic tank variant is expected to weigh less than its proceeding variants so that it can traverse the same range with half the fuel consumption required by other Abrams. Equipped with an embedded artificial intelligence capability, the AbramsX is expected to blow its competitors out of the water when introduced. Notably, the new tank series will feature four launchers for Switchblade 300 munitions. These loitering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as “kamikaze’ or “suicide,” can be controlled by the crew from the front of the hull. Loitering munitions are impressive since they can linger around a target area before detonating.
While the AbramsX will be able to launch drones, it will also be well-protected against adversarial UAVs due to the incorporation of the Trophy active protection system. The innovative active protection system protects armored vehicles from a range of projectiles, including anti-tank guided missiles, anti-tank rockets, and high-explosive anti-tank rounds. The homegrown system improves the tank’s ability to target enemy MBTS and therefore increases the crew’s survivability.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
