Kyle Mizokami
Just six months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, defense contractor General Dynamics introduced a new version of the iconic M1 Abrams tank. The tank, known as AbramsX, incorporated lessons from the ongoing war, specifically the importance of drones in modern conflict. Although just a mockup of an actual tank, AbramsX could form a starting point for a new, third generation of the longest-serving tank in American history.
AbramsX: The History and Backstory
In October 2022 at the Association of the U.S. Army conference, General Dynamics unveiled a new version of the Abrams tank. Dubbed AbramsX, the tank reflected a quick pivot to lessons learned from the Russian invasion of Ukraine the previous February.
AbramsX was not a working, operational tank but was intended to take lessons from the ongoing war, particularly the rise of drones, and use it to keep tanks not only relevant, but dominant on the modern battlefield.
AbramsX differs from the current M1A2SEPv3 Abrams in several ways. One is the reduction in crew size, from four to three. Finally, a main gun autoloader mechanism has been incorporated, eliminating the human loader. The tank commander and gunner are repositioned into the tank’s hull, where they sit in a row alongside the driver.
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