M1A2SEP v.2 with upgrades, and US tank fleet upgrade program.

[Damian]

Just recently to internet leaked photo of new M1A2SEP v.2.



As we can see tank was equipped with new better placed RWS CROWS-2, it is easier for TC to reload it and it don't obscure his vision from vision blocks as much as older CROWS did.

The most interesting thing are these welded plates on turret and hull front, these are weight simulators. US designers allways install them before new armor package is installed to see how weight will be distributed and gather other important data.

US.Army plans to upgrade all it's tank fleet to two variants, the M1A1SA and M1A2SEP and starting from 2013 new deep modernisation plan is schedulde.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/wsh2010/16.pdf
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/wsh2011/16.pdf
https://www.g8.army.mil/pdf/AMP2012_lq.pdf

The last PDF mentions only quantities of M1A2SEP's and M1A1SA's in fleet, quantities of older variants in the fleet are not mentioned but fleet overall quantities is something around 8000-9000+ M1 tanks for US.Army, ARNG and USMC.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

What kind of ERA protecting these M1s are getting..

 

[Damian]

It is multilayer light ERA M19 ARAT-1 and there is also newer combo M19 + M32 ("Scutum") ARAT-2.

Here it how it looks inside (after hit, ERA protected vehicles, however both tanks on photo have some damage):



That ERA was co-developed by Israel (Rafael?), USA (TACOM, TARDEC and GDLS?) and Russia (NII Stali). It is partially based on Russian 4S24 ERA, this ERA is it's some specific version is capabale to protect vehicle against such RPG's like RPG-29.

 

[Damian]

M1A2SEP with TUSK-2 kit, seen here are M19 ERA cassettes covered by M32 cassettes.

 

[Damian]

Interesting videos, the first 3 of them are from 2003 Fort Knox Armor School where US.Army, ARNG and USMC were have their basic training, other ones are from new Armor School in Fort Benning.

 

[Damian]

Small update of informations.

http://www.ausa.org/publications/armymagazine/archive/2010/10/Documents/Weapons4_Gound_1010.pdf

This PDF from October 2010 states that US Army (And this means also ARNG as I suppose) had ~8,325 M1 tank variants (M1, M1A1, M1A2, M104 variants) in year 2010.

This more or less means ~4,300 M1A1 variants, ~1,500 M1A2SEP variants and ~2525 M1/M1IP variants (M104 HAB's are in inventory in very small numbers, no more than 100).

So ~8,325 M1's in US.Army/ARNG inventory + ~400 M1A1's in USMC gives ~8725 M1 tanks in overall inventory of US Armed Forces.

These numbers are very close to my earlier estimations.

There are other interesting informations.

First one is Ground Combat Vehicle program is actually not only for new Infantry Fighting Vehicle but in future it will increase to R&D programs for other Armored Fighting Vehicles types like probably new Self Propelled Howitzer, Main Battle Tank and other types.

There are also mentioned numbers of M2 IFV Family of Vehicles, M113 FoV and other types of weapon systems for ground forces.

BTW, currently there should be more than 1,000 TUSK (Tank Urban Survivability Kits) in inventory.

 

[Damian]

Video made by tank crews in probably Fort Benning Armor School Center.

 

[Damian]

Another important information. US.Army 2nd Infantry Division (Armor-Mechanised) recently (years 2010-2011) replaced it's M1A1HA/M1A1HC and M1A1AIM tanks with newest M1A2SEP v2 tanks.

Photo of one of tanks in South Korea:



I found this photo in internet.

 

[Damian]

I pointed on M1A1 tank drawing where composite armor is placed (if someone want, he can messure thickness of armor by itself).



Front turret armor at 0 degrees from turret center line is ~900-960mm thick, at 30 degrees from turret center line is ~800mm thick.
Side turret armor 90 degrees from turret center line is ~380mm thick.
Front hull "beak" at 0 degrees from hull center line is ~650-700mm thick.
Front hull glacis plate is ~50mm thick at 80 degrees angle from vertical over driver station, ~80mm over driver station sides.
Gun mantle mas at 0 degrees from turret center line is ~360mm thick.

For comparrision here is Challenger 2 drawing.



By our estimations:

Front turret armor at 0 degrees from turret center line is ~750-800mm thick.
Side turret armor at 90 degrees from turret center line is ~300mm thick over crew compartment and several mm over turret bustle.
Front hull glacis plate ~50mm thick over driver station, and ~80-100mm thick over it's sides and angled at ~80 degrees from vertical.

If I find more good drawing I will made more good comparrision drawings.


Note, drawings are not in the same scale.

 

[Damian]

So, new informations update this day about M1 series tanks modernisation program.

Currently GDLS is upgrading all tanks in active fleet with same suspension system that can take more weight.

However as mr. Nick Moran, a US.Army tank crew member and member of TankNet forums, said after talk with GDLS workers further upgrades are in work, if tests and decision will be positive and there will be money, upgrades will start.

So what will be these upgrades?

First new engine, GDLS wants to replace good old AGT-1500C Gas Turbine engine with compact Diesel GD883 that is licence version of MTU MB883. However new engine will need whole engine compartment redesign.

How it can end? Well this engine will give around ~1000mm free space in engine compartment, this can permitt to use larger ammunition magazine in hull behind turret. Front fuel tanks can be demounted and replacement for them in engine compartment can be placed. Space in front hull where fuel tanks were placed can be used for storage of crew belongings and important replacement parts, machine gun barrels etc.

Other improvements can be done after this.

Also GDLS plans to replace torsion bar suspension with better and more perspective hydrogas suspension system.

These upgrades are still uncertain but it seems that GDLS want to further improve M1 tanks.

Also use of GD883 will improve logistics chain because GDLS plans to use this engine in their new GCV IFV, so such improvement will reduce costs and give them an edge in GCV program over BAe Systems.

http://208.84.116.223/forums/index.php?showtopic=34746&pid=886350&st=0&#entry886350

Here is discussion on TankNet.