Main battle tanks Abrams M1A2 SEP M1A2S variants at IDEX defence exhibition for first time 2502137

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IDEX 2013
Tri-Service defence exhibition
17 - 21 February 2013
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
 
General Dynamics Land Systems at IDEX 2013
 
 
Saturday, February 23, 2013, 05:35 PM
 
Main battle tanks Abrams M1A2 SEP and M1A2S variants at IDEX defence exhibition for first time.
General Dynamics Land Systems presents for the first time at IDEX, defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi (UAE), two variants of the main battle tank Abrams with the M1A2 SEP (Systems Enhancement Program) and the M1A2S which is the Saudi variant of this tank.
     

M1A2 SEP main battle tank at IDEX 2013 defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
     

The Abrams MBT has a track-record of effectiveness in urban and conventional environments, providing the mobility and precision firepower to operate effectively on a battlefield with large numbers of heavy armour forces.

Weighing 70 tons, the M1-series Abrams tank has proven to be the mightiest of all military variants and is adaptable across the broad spectrum of missions. The Abrams' imposing size at 9.77 m long (120 mm smoothbore gun forward), 3.66 m wide and 2.44 m high and is the only weapon system that can handle the impact of high-energy warheads and remain lethal on the battlefield.

Key variants of the current Abrams fleet include upgraded digitized M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP) Version 2 (V2) tanks, upgraded M1 A1 Situational Awareness (SA) tanks and M1A1 US Marine Corps (USMC) tanks.

     

M1A2S main battle tank of Saudi Arabia armed forces at IDEX 2013.
     
International variants of the tank include the M1A2S, which was built for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's military fleet. General Dynamics also developed the Abrams Tank Urban Survivability Kit (TUSK) to add features that increase survivability in urban environments.

Since 2011, a company of M1A1 Abrams tanks has been deployed with the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan, proving that it is adaptable to many combat situations. A big advantage of the Abrams is its off-road mobility and capability.

In recent years, General Dynamics Land Systems has upgraded the Abrams' computer systems, night-vision capabilities, electronic backbone, powerful computers and an open architecture designed to accept future technologies without the need for significant redesign. The company is currently under contract for research, development and testing in preparation for the Abrams main battle tank Engineering Change Proposal 1 (ECP1) production. The U.S. Army plans to begin low rate initial production of tanks with ECP1 upgrades in 2017 and the tank remains a key component of the U.S. force through 2045.