U.S. Army testing M1A2 SEPv3 at Yuma Proving Ground

According to the U.S. Army’s statement, it’s the M1A2 Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) version 3 (v3) main battle tank, and right now it’s being put through its paces across the more than 200 miles of rugged road courses at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), all to ensure it functions as it should wherever in the world it could be called on to serve.. Except for the exterior, today’s M1A2 Systems Engineering Plan version 3 (SEPv3) would be almost unrecognizable to the tankers who served on its earliest incarnation. YPG testing has touched virtually every aspect of this behemoth, and the initial reviews about the latest iteration’s performance are good across the board.

“This is a tried and tested piece of military hardware that has been battle proven in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere,” said Greg Duda, Abrams test lead. “The Abrams is extremely lethal, survivable, and reliable. We’ve been proving this through testing for the past two and a half years, and it’s proven to be the most amazing variant of this platform yet,” said Duda. “It’s a feat of engineering that touches on many different disciplines: software engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering.”.

The list of improvements is lengthy: improved fire control electronics mean the SEPv3’s gun can shoot faster and more accurately; the engine, drivetrain, and tracks have been updated for higher performance and to support the platform’s weight increase; it may even sport hubcaps and road arms manufactured by way of 3D printing, a facet that is under test here at YPG. The newest Abrams is also more heavily armored than previous versions, which necessitates improvements in the power system and suspension. A lot of the extra weight is from the kits that get installed, such as the Abrams Armor Reactive Tiles that are installed in close-combat situations

The M1A2 SEP V3 retains the layout of the M1A2 MBT with the driver’s cab at the forward centre hull, turret in the middle and power-pack at the rear. The tank integrates the line-replaceable module technology to enable easy maintenance of the fleet. The SEPv3s have a lot more onboard diagnostics than earlier iterations: they have removable screens that carry the tech manuals that can accomplish a lot of diagnostics on the vehicles without taking it to the shop. A lot of people don’t realize the amount of software in this platform, there are over 1.4 million lines of code on this tank. The tank integrates joint tactical radio system (JTRS) handheld, man-pack, and small form fit radio to ensure network readiness and interoperation with future brigade combat teams (BCTs).