Key Points and Summary – The U.S. Army has canceled its planned M1A2 SEPv4 tank upgrade, a program that would have pushed the Abrams to a “too heavy” 80 tons, after a damning Army Science Board report warned the tank “will not dominate” the 2040 battlefield. Instead, the Army is fast-tracking a “radical” replacement, the M1E3, which will be 20 tons lighter.
-The M1E3 will feature a hybrid-electric engine (offering 40-50% better fuel efficiency), an unmanned turret with an autoloader (reducing the crew to 3), and advanced Active Protection Systems to defeat drones.
An M1A1 Abrams tank operated by Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, fires over a barricade at the Douthit Gunnery Complex on Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 20, 2022. The tank crew was conducting gunnery qualification. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jared Simmons)
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)
-Prototypes are now expected as early as 2026, a massive acceleration from the original timeline.
The Army’s M1E3 Abrams Main Battle Tank
The M1E3 Abrams is a next-generation version of the M1 Abrams tank under development by the U.S. Army to be lighter, more technologically advanced, and more survivable than its predecessors.
It will feature a hybrid-electric drivetrain, an unmanned turret with an autoloader, and a modular open systems architecture for easier upgrades, and is designed to counter threats like drones and advanced anti-tank weapons.
The Army expects to receive the initial prototypes in 2026, with initial operational capability anticipated in the early 2030s.
M1Abrams SEPv4 Canceled
The Army’s M1 Abrams System Enhancement Package Version 4 (SEPV4) was a proposed modernization of the long-standing American main battle tank (MBT). These upgrades offer numerous improvements over the previous SEPv3 configuration.
However, the M1 Abrams SEPv4 upgrade was cancelled due to concerns about its weight, mobility, and future battlefield dominance.
A tank crew with 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, fires the main cannon of an M1A2 SEPv3 Main Battle Tank for the Live-fire Accuracy Screening Test (LFAST) of a tank gunnery training event at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Jan. 18, 2024. During LFAST crews ensure that their weapons are sighted and are accurate before continuing with the rest of the gunnery. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Luciano Alcala)
The Army decided to focus on a more radical modernization effort, the M1E3, which will incorporate lessons learned from the SEPv4 and address the evolving threats on future battlefields.
The Army Science Board Says The Abrams Days Are Numbered
The Army Science Board (ASB) published a report that cited several factors the Army considered. The ASB is concerned that the M1 Abrams SEPv4 will no longer be a dominant tank by 2040 and will be inadequate for future warfare.
The report cited the M1’s declining advantages in mobility, firepower, and protection against evolving threats. The ASB recommended developing fifth-generation armored vehicles. Meanwhile, the Army will continue to fund the M1 Abrams SEPv3 (System Enhancement Package Version 3) variant.
This tank features advanced technologies, including enhanced infrared detection and a more powerful 120mm cannon. It will also include some of the SEPv4’s features and have a modular design, which makes it easier to incorporate new technology into an older weapon system.
Once testing is complete, it will be named the M1A3 Abrams.
The Army has stated that the M1E3 Abrams will be the service’s first hybrid-electric combat vehicle.
The objective of this revolutionary change in basic armored vehicle propulsion technology will be to reduce the Army’s armored corps’ fuel consumption and extend the battlefield endurance of the entire M1 fleet.
Some Enhancements And Upgrades of the M1A3 Abrams
-A weight reduction of approximately 10 tons of the current SEPv3.
-A hybrid-electric diesel engine that will produce some 50 per cent improved fuel efficiency.
-An unmanned turret similar to those in contemporary MBT designs seen in both Europe and Russia. This could reduce crew size from 4 to 3 by incorporating a compact MEGGITT autoloader. The three crewmen will be seated in the hull.
A U.S. Army M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division fires at a target before quickly disengaging into a defilade to load a new round at McGregor Range, New Mexico, Sept. 29, 2023. Alpha Co. executed Gunnery Table VI, which 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)
-An advanced set of armor protection developments designed to defeat drone-deployed munitions.
-A command and control system that permits Integration with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
-An AI-powered threat detection and fire control system.
-A modular open systems architecture (MOSA) will enable faster, easier integration of future technology upgrades.
-Advanced protection: The tank will feature advanced active and passive protection systems to defend against threats like drones and missiles.
TWZ recently wrote that “the service has already integrated the Israeli-designed and combat-proven Trophy APS onto a portion of its existing Abrams tanks. Trophy is a so-called hard-kill APS that uses a burst of kinetic projectiles to defeat, or at least disrupt, incoming anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), as well as other infantry anti-armor weapons, such as shoulder-fired rockets and rocket-propelled grenades. A version of the system now exists that also offers protection against drones.”
The Army Science Board Says The Abrams’ Days Are Numbered
The Army Science Board, a sanctioned independent group of experts that advises the Secretary of the Army, was candid in its report. The ASB explained in detail why the planned SEPv4 variant is inadequate for future warfare.
The study, which took several years to complete, concluded that the Abrams tank would not be usable in operations after 2040 and recommended developing additional fifth-generation armored vehicles.
“Based on our findings, the M1 Abrams will not dominate the 2040 battlefield. All of the M1’s advantages in mobility, firepower, and protection are at risk.
“The M1A2 SEP V3&4 upgrades will improve effectiveness but will not restore dominance. Near transparency in all domains will significantly increase the lethality our forces will experience. China and Russia have studied our forces and doctrine and are fielding countermeasures.”
The ASB report added, “we will continue to be outnumbered, which is exacerbated by a low MBT operational readiness rate and an aging fleet.”
“The Abrams Tank can no longer grow its capabilities without adding weight, and we need to reduce its logistical footprint,” said Major General Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems.
“The war in Ukraine has highlighted a critical need for integrated protections for Soldiers, built from within instead of adding on.”
The Abrams Tanks Are Too Heavy, Decreasing Mobility, and Deployability
The SEPv3, with all of the platform’s added components, increased the tank’s weight from 76 to 78 tons; the SEPv4 weighs even more, about 80 tons. There are just too many add-ons to make it feasible.
This increased weight will have a serious negative impact on the tank’s mobility, as well as its survivability – both of which were the central considerations in the cancellation by the Army.
By comparison, the M1A1 Abrams that the United States sold to Ukraine weighed 63 tons. Those tanks are already too heavy for most of the bridges in Ukraine.
General Dynamics, which has built Abrams tanks for more than 40 years, is working on another tank in the Abrams family called the “Abrams X.” Currently, however, there are no plans to produce it.
Still, some of the tank’s designs could eventually reach the M1 Abrams M1A3. This model is less armored, more mobile, and weighs 59 tons.
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has been awarded a $150m contract for the Abrams Engineering Program, intended to deliver new technologies for the US Army’s M1E3 Abrams next-generation main battle tank (MBT).
The Army is continuing to produce the M1A2 SEPv3 at a reduced rate until production transitions to the M1E3 Abrams.
The Army is struggling to transport its troops to a modern war in the Indo-Pacific region. The Abrams was already a heavy tank, but the 80-ton SEPv4 is too heavy. The upgrades and additional protection systems require more weight to be bolted to the side of the hull or turret.
And as we know, logistics win wars.
The Army was looking to buy 500 M10 Bookers as a light tank to support the infantry, but the plan was canceled after the Army’s mission creep made it unusable. The service is still looking at developing a 5th-generation tank; however, until then, the M1 Abrams SEPv3/M1A3 will have to do. At least for now, it is still one of the best tanks in the world.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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