From this ref...
http://www.ausa.org/publications/arm...ts/SA_0911.pdf
"Additional supporting activities have included initiation of the
Tank Urban Survivability Kit program to provide
additional survivability and lethality in urban conflicts and the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) II. Developed and produced by Kongsberg Defense, CROWS II has been installed on M1A2 SEP tanks delivered from the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, beginning in June 2010. According to Mike Cannon, senior vice president for ground combat systems at General Dynamics Land Systems,
the M1A2 SEP V2 is one of three Abrams variants in the current U.S. Army inventory. “The most modern variant is the M1A2 SEP Version 2,” he explained. “There are also a few M1A2 SEP Version 1 [tanks] still in the fleet. And then there are 791 M1A1 SA [situational awareness] variants that are primarily in the National Guard and the Army Reserve.” The M1A2 SEP V1 platforms lack some of the enhanced features found in the V2 variant. When asked about any moves toward the possibility of “pure fleeting” the Army with the M1A2 SEP V2 tanks, Cannon acknowledged some service reluctance based on the costs of such a program. That reluctance has also contributed to some recent industry concern about the future of the U.S. tank industrial base."
Around 110 M1A1 SA tanks are currently being used in the Iraqi Army.
The "V1" designation was used only in the last couple of years formally when the M1A2 SEP V2 became operational with the USA
2nd HBCT as announced on 20 April 2012 (Along with the latest BRADLEY.). It was to simply to distinguish between the M1A2 SEP types. Per the first ref above both the M1A1 SA and M1A2 SEP V1 tanks will be upgraded to the M1A2 SEP V2. The M1A2 SEP V2 is likely to receive further upgrades to what might be called the
M1A2 SEP V3 possibly.
http://www.army-technology.com/news/...aded-vehicles/
Because of the above and others submitted is why I used the the operational start date (And game ADD.) of 1/12 for the
M1A2 SEP V2. It allowed for the following that occurred... contracts as signed between 2006-2008, funding and developmental delays, production, evaluation by both the manufacturer and USA and training driven also by the 2nd HBCT announcement. Game wise I recommended renaming only the current game used M1A2 SEP tanks to the "V1" mark to avoid adding extra units and further editing of units no longer in service.
The PITA with equipment is about a 50/50 split between here's the new toy and keeping track of all the factors that delay the "true" operational status of it. We've seen it many times here? Besides adjustments for the M1A2 SEP V2 for funding, we have Thailands OPLOT for production delays in the late reporting of the customer adding over 40 modifications or about three years ago and recently for contract violations, corruption and production delays the "tail chasing" it's caused in getting a good operational date for Swedens AMVs. The F-35, PAK/FA, ALTAY, ARJUN MKII etc. have and will in the future be no different.
But this is where I say good post Suhiir and good nig...morning again!
Finally I leave you with what is considered one of the definitive sites for the tanks it covers by many of the defense industry sites (DID etc.) out there...
http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/abrams.htm
For those who do have a Happy Easter and everyone else a great weekend!
I almost forgot to add that the 1st HBCT has now been likewise equipped and is fully operational as well with both the improved ABRAMS and BRADLEY.
Regards,
Pat
Re: M1 Abrams variants
Linear Mode
