M1 Abrams

The M1 Abrams is the primary main battle tank of the U.S. Army and, until its 2021 retirement from USMC armor, the Marine Corps. It is distinguished by its 120mm smoothbore cannon, composite Chobham-derived armor, and Honeywell AGT1500 gas-turbine engine producing 1,500 horsepower at the shaft.

Continuous upgrades across the M1A1, M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package), and current M1A2 SEPv3 and SEPv4 variants have added thermal optics, digital battle-management networks, auxiliary power units, and the Trophy active protection system. The Abrams has served as the armored backbone of every major U.S. ground campaign since Desert Storm.

The upcoming M1E3 variant is expected to shed weight, integrate a hybrid powertrain, and adopt an open-systems architecture to enable faster capability upgrades in response to lessons from Ukraine.

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