Key Points and Summary – The new AbramsX is the U.S. Army’s answer to the evolving battlefield, designed to bridge the gap to the next generation of armored warfare.
-Responding to the vulnerabilities exposed by drones and anti-tank missiles in Ukraine, the AbramsX is a lighter, faster, and more survivable platform.
Marines with Bravo Company, 4th Tanks Battalion, fire the M1A1 Abrams tank during a live-fire exercise as part of Exercise Arrow 18 in Pohjankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, May 15, 2018. Exercise Arrow is an annual Finnish multi-national exercise with the purpose of training with mechanized infantry, artillery, and mortar field training skills in a live-fire exercise. This is the first year the Marine Corps is participating in this exercise and the first time the M1A1 Abrams tanks have been in Finland. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Marcin Platek/Released)
-Key innovations include a fuel-efficient hybrid engine for “silent watch” capability, an unmanned turret, and a hemispheric Active Protection System.
Meet the AbramsX Tank
Most revolutionary is its ability to act as a “drone mothership,” controlling its own unmanned systems to scout ahead and defend itself, aiming to restore the tank’s role as the spearhead of an assault.
New AbramsX Tank Aims to Transform Armored Warfare
The main battle tank has its detractors. The suggestion that the tank is not as dominant as it once was is far from uncommon, and you can thank drones and anti-tank missiles for that growing perception. But a future model is being specifically designed to overcome the new dangers that have emerged on the battlefield.
Key Part of Drone Warfare
I’m referring to the new AbramsX tank. The AbramsX is expected to control its own flight of drones, which means that when an enemy tries to launch loitering munitions, the AbramsX can deploy its own drones to defend the tank’s turret.
CINCU, Romania – U.S. Army Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, setup their M1 Abram Tanks during Getica Saber 17, July 10, 2017. Getica Saber 17 is a U.S.-led fire support coordination exercise and combined arms live fire exercise that incorporates six allied and partner nations with more than 4,000 Soldiers. Getica Saber 17 runs concurrent with Saber Guardian 17, a U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise that spans across Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania with more than 25,000 service members from 22 allied and partner nations. Image Credit: US Military.
New Engine Is Just What the Doctor Ordered
The AbramsX’s hybrid engine system will give it more power, acceleration, and better agility, while also saving fuel. The tank will be lighter than previous generations of the Abrams, with more maneuverability.
It will be ready to shoot and scoot, quickly taking up new positions on the battlefield.
The AbramsX was first shown off at a U.S. Army conference in 2022. The tank’s unmanned turret drew everyone’s attention, and attendees were told the tank’s ammunition would be course-correcting, able to change direction in the air after firing. The thermal sites are 365-degree models for quick target acquisition.
The tank commander and driver can use AI for smarter combat, thanks to new data-processing and analysis capabilities that will bring sensors in line with the command-and-control system.
AbramsX Will Form a Valuable Spearhead to Maintain Momentum
This next-generation tank is far more advanced than any previous Abrams. It will be the tip of the spear during an attack, leading combined-arms armored operations while keeping pace with infantry fighting vehicles and dismounted infantry who fight to push the enemy out of its reinforced positions.
An M1A2 Abrams tanks, assigned to 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, maneuver into fighting position during a battalion live-fire range during Agile Spirit 19 at Orpholo Training Area, Georgia, August 9, 2019. AgS19 is a joint, multinational exercise co-led by the Georgian Defense Forces and U.S. Army Europe which incorporates a command post exercise, field training and joint multinational live fires. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. True Thao)
The rapid movement this will require is enabled by the lighter weight of the AbramsX – it will weigh 60 tons, compared to the 70 tons of the other Abrams variants.
AbramsX Creates New Tactical Advantages
The AbramsX’s drone capability stands out most. A problem in modern warfare is that tanks can no longer act as the vanguard in an armored blitz, which is the essence of armored combat.
Lightning war tactics now rely on combat drones placed ahead of a mechanized formation to clear out the front and flanks of an armored column. The unmanned craft attached to the AbramsX will be able to sense enemy emplacements, setting up ambushes and swooping in to destroy them.
U.S. Army tank crews with Alpha “Animal” Company and Bravo “Barbarian” Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, supporting 3rd Infantry Division, fire rounds from M1A2 Abrams tanks at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland Sept. 12. The 3rd Infantry Division’s mission in Europe is to engage in multinational training and exercises across the continent, working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Alex Soliday)
The AbramsX is thus better equipped as the spearhead, compared to other Abrams tanks. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle or the new XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle could scout out terrain from which the enemy has retreated, rushing into the breach of enemy lines and offloading infantry fighters to eliminate enemy combatants with anti-tank missiles and drone launchers.
Newfound Fuel Efficiency
Older Abrams tanks are thirsty for fuel. The AbramsX has better range thanks to its reduced fuel needs, which also allow for a smaller logistical footprint and fewer supply vehicles.
This makes for a leaner, meaner overall tank force, with much less to slow an armored advance. Fuel efficiency for the AbramsX will be improved by 50 percent.
The hybrid engine will require large battery packs, and it is not known how these will fare in combat.
The batteries will be at the bottom of the hull for better protection. Tank mines, then, could be the undoing of the propulsion system.
A U.S. Army M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division prepares to move off the live fire range after completing the day portion of Table VI Tank Gunnery conducted at McGregor Range, New Mexico, Sept. 29, 2023. Gunnery Table VI evaluates crews on engaging stationary and moving targets while utilizing all weapons systems in offensive and defensive positions, ensuring our crews are trained and ready for any mission. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. David Poleski)
The engine also emits a minimal thermal and acoustic signature to enemy trackers. This increases survivability and cloaks movement as part of a concept called “silent watch.”
Anti-tank guided missiles remain a significant challenge for any tank. But the AbramsX will have better survivability thanks to a hemispheric Active Protection System that can sense, track, and destroy incoming missiles before they hit.
The Active Protection System will launch a guided projectile to intercept enemy missiles before they reach the AbramsX. This capability is enabled by a digital software protocol called “Katalyst,” and very little is known about this developing system.
The AbramsX will have three crew members sitting side by side, with an auto-loader for rapid fire. The tank’s 120-mm main weighs less than the guns on earlier Abrams tanks, and the fired rounds can alter direction in flight to hit moving targets.
The Bottomline
Overall, the AbramsX is a vast improvement – much more sophisticated than older Abrams variants. It has incorporated new tools to survive on the modern battlefield and could change the minds of naysayers who doubt that tanks are still relevant.
The Army knows that it cannot waiver if it wants to make the tank great again. The AbramsX should fix many of mechanized warfare’s shortcomings as we head into the 2030s.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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