does the us army need a new main battle tank

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. “We run side slopes in a sinusoidal pattern and check things like the fuel pump and brakes.”

“We put it in situations where the vehicle is on a slope that would cause all the fuel to settle on one end to see if the fuel pump can still pull fuel through the system and adequately restart it after sitting awhile,” said Wilson. YPG testing has touched virtually every aspect of this behemoth, and in a variety of situations that simulate the less-than-ideal conditions Soldiers might encounter in combat. “We test these vehicles’ durability for thousands of miles across these various road surfaces.”Įxcept for the exterior, today’s SEPv3 would be almost unrecognizable to the tankers who served on its earliest incarnation. “We have multiple test courses here that simulate different types of roads we might encounter in different areas of the world,” said Robert Wilson, test officer. Army Yuma Proving Ground, all to ensure it functions as it should wherever in the world it could be called on to serve. 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.

What has outstanding offensive and defensive capability and represents the tip of the spear in a major land war?

Does the us army need a new main battle tank