The Army appears fixated on fielding transformational capabilities. At the same time, it must be sure that the other armored fighting vehicle fleets can be effective in future high-end fights. The way it is doing this is through a series of planned upgrades. Perhaps the perfect example of the ability of the value of smart upgrades is the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. Since it was first deployed in 1980, the Abrams has undergone continuous modification and upgrades in response to changes in threats, technology and tactics. The Army and General Dynamics are currently working on two additional upgrades, the M1A2C and D. But the future of the M1 Abrams need not end there. What might an even more advanced variant, the A2E, look like? At least three improvements come to mind. One is an automatic loader. The second is a fully automated turret. The third is a new engine. I have written more about the future of the M1 here.
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