Editing M1 Abrams (section)

==IRL==
[[File:DA-ST-88-04607.jpeg|300px|right|thumb|Nice Invasion you got there. . .be a shame if something were to happen to it.]]
In the 1960s the US Army began to search for a replacement for the [[M60 Patton]]. In this effort, they joined forces with West Germany in development of the MBT-70, an innovative design which featured the entire crew situated in the Turret and sporting a 152mm Gun/missile launcher similar to that of the [[M551 Sheridan]]. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask) the MBT-70 Program was canceled before the vehicle was ready for production due to excessive costs. It was not a total failure, however, as the West Germans took the lessons learned from the project and created the [[Leopard 2]] and the Americans took their data and created the M1 Abrams.

The M1 Abrams and its subsequent variants have been in service with the US Military for close to 40 Years. First introduced in 1980, the Abrams has gone through several updates to keep pace with the requirements of the modern battlefield. The first major update was in 1985 the M1A1 which swapped out the 105mm rifled L7 gun for a 120mm Smoothbore (which by the way is included in the Abrams kit and as of 1985 150 M1A1 tanks were in Germany waiting for the war to go hot seriously Team Yankee wikipedia doesn't get this wrong). The latest iteration is the M1A2, which has been upgraded with more advanced targeting equipment and improved defense systems from lessons learned fighting insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also gotten better armor to stop the new shiny guns and missiles. However, please note: The original M1 Abrams had practically no armor whatsoever versing KE, as most APFSDS rounds went straight through turret, hull, mantlet, anything, below 1500 meters. This kind of makes sense because the M1 was built around the assumption that the T-72 (which the Americans were expecting the Abrams to engage with) would be equipped with the same 115mm smoothbore gun as the T-62, but it turned out that the T-72 used a much more powerful 125mm gun. The new intel about the larger and more powerful Soviet tank gun was part of the reason that the Abrams eventually received DU (Depleted Uranium) armour and a 120mm L44 cannon for the M1A1HA version onwards.

The M1A2C, renamed SEP v3 (System enhancement package) is currently in the process of deployment to US Army units in the field due to the Factory getting done ahead of schedule, containing all the wonders of modern technology including but not limited to: 
* More powerful shells like the M859A3 and A4, designed to penetrate the heavy reactive armor instead of brute forcing and setting off ERA panels.
* Improved view sights that are in color, so no more B&W guesswork.
* Better computer networks, data links, improved laser range finders, danger indicators, and improved meteorological sensors. Just better electronics in general.
* A shiny new Active Protection System to stop rocket weapons.
* Earlier SEP v1 and SEP v2 upgrades also present, namely infantry-tank telephone, ERA plating, commander 50cal being remotely controlled and an optional second fifty call remotely controlled placed over the barrel.

The Abrams is a terrifyingly effective battering ram as well. Mostly due to its absurd speed and weight.  And how does it achieve that speed?  Why with its engine of course.  Specifically its gas turbine engine.  Seeing Sweden play around with turbines in the Strv-103 and hearing rumors that Russia was doing the same with the T-80, America got a little envious.  The Strv-103 weighs 40 tons with a 300 HP turbine designed for drones.  The M1 weighs 60 tons and has a '''1500''' HP turbine which was also marketed for heavy cargo helicopters. For context, this is the sort of horsepower you'd expect to see on a small freight train.  The tradeoff is that its a logistics nightmare, measuring its fuel consumption in gallons per mile and can only drive about 6 hours before needing to refuel. This is mitigated somewhat by two things. First one is that the Abrams is able to use just about any type of fuel available. Jet fuel is standard issue but it can also take gasoline, diesel and marine diesel.(yes, that means fuel for sea vessels.) All very common among the military forces of NATO. The second is that the M1 Abrams is being fielded by a nation that has 753.5 '''billion''' in defense spending, if the M1 could burn Pennies for fuel it would barely make a dent in that budget.

A M1A3 variant is currently in development to design a lighter tank that may one day be more air transportable, as the M1A2's fat ass weighs in at 68 tons (the upgrade to fibre cabling alone shaved 2 tons!) meaning something like the C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest planes in the world, can only take off with two on board rather than the three that can physically fit in the cargo hold. This will be difficult as apparently politics make upgrades more affordable than new-ish tanks. Eventually, though, the mainframe of the tank will wear out and new ones will have to be manufactured. This may take some time, given that the Marines have ditched the Abrams; on the assumption the Marines play an amphibious game of Shoot and Scoot against aircraft and warships with missile trucks. So all those tanks have gone to the Army,[[derp| due to the USMC brass being idiots that don't realize China has their own light Tanks for island hopping.]] While the Army has just adopted their own light tank the Griffin (based on the ASCOD). [[Herp|So far none of the Marine brass showing any interest despite both of these known facts.]] Unless the USMC is willing to add the Stryker Armored Gun Systems' cannon to their new Amphibious Combat Vehicle or strap on guided missiles on to them, it'll leave them with just a 20 mm autocannon and 40 mm mortars for direct engagements.

The one noteworthy addition will be the long overdue Active Protection System (Trophy System), basically a system that shoots incoming projectiles like RPGs out of the air before they make contact with the tank proper. They bought the Trophy system from Israel because it's a more battle-tested system than the Quick Kill system (US development). The US's own Quick Kill system, similar to Trophy, accomplishes the same job. The US armed forces plans to use both in the latest versions of the Abrams by 2020.

The US Army plans to field the M1A1 until the 2040s and the M1A2 until the 2060s. They also want the M1A3 to be upgraded to a [[Tau|railgun]]. Which is in the realm of possibility because the Abrams is already a modular platform. A new engine may even be able to power two downsized variants of the laser weapon System installed on the USS Ponce. Obviously replacing the M240s and M2 Brownings. Therefore, many Abrams now in service or not yet acquired would eventually be turned into drones after 2050. Renamed the QM1A3, QM1A4 and so forth down the line. Said M1 Abrams drones would serve alongside a future tank. Gotta do something with that military budget larger than most countries GDPs.

Recently, General Dynamics just teased a technological demonstrator call Abrams-X. With a silent hybrid drive that reduces fuel consumption to 50%, a 30 mm autocannon turret for anti aircraft defense, an autoloader, APS systems integrated with reactive armor, and networking capabilities capable of guiding self-launched suicide drones, the company claims it can serve as an interim bridge between the SEPv3 and 4 variants and the Abram’s successor once the DLP component of the NGCV program goes online in the next decade or so. That’s assuming the US Army or a foreign buyer expresses any interest at all. 

These tanks are now being sent to Ukraine along with the [[Leopard 2]] and the [[Challenger 1|Challenger 2]]. Washington didn't want the Germans to outdo them in the amount of weapons sent to Ukraine, so they approved Abrams deployment. Time to see of they hold up as well as they were designed to be against Soviet equipment . . . and if there performance in the Gulf War's is anything to go by they will be more than ready given some of the junk the Russian are deploying. The real question is: can Ukraine keep those turbine engines fed? (Considering they are multi-fuel, probably so)

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]