Key Points and Summary – America’s next Abrams, the M1E3, is designed for the drone era with an active protection system to defeat ATGMs, RPGs, loitering munitions and armed UAVs.
-Planned changes include an autoloader enabling an unmanned turret, secure links to friendly drones, a lighter hull (about 10 tons less), and a hybrid-diesel powertrain targeting 50% better fuel efficiency.
Soldiers from Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, conduct gunnery training with the M1 Abrams tank, Jan. 14, 2025, at Brooks Range, on Fort Benning, Georgia. (U.S. Army photo by Joey Rhodes II)
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.
-Unlike Ukraine’s older M1A1 SAs, the M1E3 aims to leap beyond SEPv3’s armor and radios with a software-driven, modular architecture and smaller crew.
-The Army has accelerated timelines: four prototypes are slated to enter formations in 2026, validating survivability, sustainment and networking under combat-realistic conditions.
The M1E3 Abrams Tank Is Coming
It has been said countless times and bears repeating yet again: The American-made M1 Abrams is the most successful main battle tank (MBT) of all time.
Its unmatched prowess was proved during smashing performances in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War.
The Abrams has enjoyed continual improvements throughout its 46-year history: from the M1A1, which upgraded the primary armament from a 105-mm to a 120-mm main gun, to the current M1A2 SEPv3.
The latest upcoming improvement is the M1E3.
However, given the battering tanks have endured on both sides of the Russo-Ukrainian War, one cannot help but ask: Will the M1E3 be able to survive and contribute during the drone era?
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The tentative answer appears to be a cautiously optimistic “yes,” at least on paper.
As Andrew Feickert notes in a September report for the Congressional Research Service about the U.S. Army’s M1E3 Abrams tank modernization program, “among the chief features of this modernization program will be “an active protection system (APS) designed to protect the M1E3 from anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and threats from a variety of armed aerial drones and loitering munitions.”
The 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment,1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, test fire their M1 Abrams Tank at Udairi Range, Kuwait, May 3, 2021. The main cannon of the M1 Abrams Tank shoots a 105mm round. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Juan Carlos Izquierdo, U.S. Army Central Public Affairs)
An M1 Abrams main battle tank provides security during the Combined Arms Company field exercise at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Sept. 16, 2015. The CAC is a newly formed armor element supporting the Black Sea Rotational Force, which reassures our NATO allies and partners of our commitments and will enhance training exercises and operations with partners in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin T. Updegraff/Released)
Among the major selling points for earlier versions of the Abrams was its first-of-its-kind Chobham armor (an arrangement of metal and ceramic plates), which gave it incredible survivability, including practical invulnerability against the main guns of adversary tanks such as the Soviet-designed T-72.
It will be interesting to see if the M1E3 keeps the Chobham armor in conjunction with the anti-drone APS or employs a new type of armor.
Additional Features for the M1E3
-Autoloader capabilities for the main gun to facilitate an unmanned turret. (This further boosts the crew’s prospects for survival against drones and other systems.)
-Ability to communicate with friendly forces’ drones.
-Alternate power trains.
-10-ton weight reduction.
-A more “green-friendly” hybrid electric diesel engine that will be 50 percent more fuel-efficient than the current Abrams.
Comparison with the M1A2 SEPv3
Ukraine’s M1s experienced disappointing survival rates, but it should be remembered that the Ukrainians were not supplied with the newest versions of the MBT. Rather, they’re using the M1A1 SA (Situational Awareness) model provided by the United States, as well as additional M1A1s recently sold by the Australian government.
It just so happens that the Australian Army is already integrating the M1A2 SEPv3 into its arsenal and is accordingly retiring its M1A1 stocks; Canberra’s sale of the latter to Kyiv was a convenient offramp for these retired war machines.
A U.S. M1A1 Abrams tank needed for training the Armed Forces of Ukraine awaits offloading at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 14, 2023. The M1A1 training is expected to last several weeks and will include live fire, crew qualification, maneuver, and maintainer training. Armed Forces of Ukraine training is conducted by 7th Army Training Command at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas in Germany on behalf of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christian Carrillo)
Key features of the SEPv3 include boron carbide ceramics and a titanium support framework; the latter attribute promotes structural integrity and weight reduction, enhancing protective capabilities while managing overall weight. (Titanium is lighter than steel.)
It also integrates a joint tactical radio system to ensure network readiness and interoperability with future brigade combat teams.
The Way Forward for the M1E3
In May 2024, the U.S. Army awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to shape requirements for the M1E3. The Army planned to bring the upgraded tank into service along a similar timeline as the XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.
However, the lessons learned from the Ukraine War have sparked an urgency to dramatically accelerate the Abrams’ modernization timeframe. Originally projected for 2030, the M1E3 is now wanted within 24 to 30 months.
Along those lines, in September 2025, the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Randy A. George, stated that four M1E3 prototypes would be operational within Army formations at some point in 2026, further noting that “the new tanks will be completely software-driven, require a smaller crew, be modular, and will be equipped with an active protection system. Once the Army receives them, crews will try the tanks out and then decide what they need.”
It has yet to be determined which specific Army units will field those four prototypes next year.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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