M1A2 SEP

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This page is about the American main battle tank M1A2 SEP. For other versions, see M1 Abrams (Family). For other uses, see M1 (Disambiguation).
us_m1a2_sep_abrams.png
GarageImage M1A2 SEP.jpg
GarageImage M1A2 SEP TUSK.jpg
ArtImage M1A2 SEP.png
M1A2 SEP
AB RB SB
11.7 11.7 11.7
Class:
Research:200 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:1 100 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Tank, Combat, Full Tracked, 120-mm Gun M1A2 SEP is a rank VIII American medium tank with a battle rating of 11.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Fire and Ice".

The M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) is an upgraded M1A2 Abrams. Its most significant upgrades is the better thermal sights for not only the gunner and commander, but also the driver as well who previously only had access to night vision devices. Another difference of the M1A2 SEP from previous Abrams is the TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit) modification, which adds explosive reactive armour on the tank sides to protect against chemical warheads.

General info

Survivability and armour

ERA
Effective action against the cumulative ammunition
Composite armour
Balanced protection against all types of ammunition
Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
ESS
Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull133 / 60 / 32
Turret139 / 120 / 13
Crew4 people
Visibility82 %

In terms of armour, the M1A2 SEP has the same protection as its predecessor from the front, the tank has used depleted uranium composite armour behind the turret cheeks of the tank, as with previous Abrams the turret's overall kinetic energy protection ranges between 680 mm to 780 mm and the chemical energy protection ranges between 1,000 mm and 1,200 mm. As with previous Abrams the M1A2 SEP retains the same weak spots as the M1A2's hull because it doesn't use depleted uranium in the lower front plate as well as the turret ring and breech being weak spots.

The improvements in M1A2 SEP from previous Abrams is that it has from the sides of the hull as it can use the TUSK kit (ARAT ERA) which provides 20 mm kinetic energy protection and 450 chemical energy protection, this will improve protection from ATGMs and HEAT-FS rounds.

M1A2 SEP x-ray view

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB76 / 43 km/h
RB and SB69 / 39 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
4 back
Weight62.2 t
Engine power
AB2 898 hp
RB and SB1 519 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB46.6 hp/t
RB and SB24.4 hp/t

The M1A2 SEP uses 1,519 horsepower AGT-1500 gas turbine like previous Abrams variants, the tank has gained an additional 0.5 tons of weight from M1A2, putting the total mass of the tank at 62.2 tonnes. This causes a slight change from M1A2 which means that commanders should expect the vehicle to respond a bit slower to movement commands compared to previous modifications. However, the tank retains the same 68 km/h top speed and 40 km/h reverse speed as the M1A2 and is still fairly mobile. Without upgrades, the hull traverse is slow and acceleration is lacking as with previous Abrams, however those issues can be remedied by upgrading the tracks, filters, engine and transmission modifications.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock AoA Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 76 43 58.9 3.25 2,058 2,898 34.91 46.59
Realistic 69 39 1,343 1,519 22.78 24.42

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 291 → 7 011 Sl icon.png
RB4 159 → 6 795 Sl icon.png
SB5 264 → 8 601 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications295 000 Rp icon.png
481 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost3 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training310 000 Sl icon.png
Experts1 100 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 300 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 350 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
160 / 200 / 210 % Sl icon.png
256 / 256 / 256 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
16 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
21 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
21 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
4 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
4 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
21 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement us.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
ESS
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
16 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_DM_HEAT_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
16 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
21 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods tank additional armor.png
TUSK
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
21 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_M829A_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night
Setup 1:120 mm M256 cannon
12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
7.62 mm M240 machine gun
7.62 mm M240 machine gun
Setup 2:120 mm M256 cannon
12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
7.62 mm M240 machine gun
7.62 mm M240 machine gun

Main armament

120 mm M256 cannon
Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition42 rounds
First-order18 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
6.5 → 5.0 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: M256 (120 mm)

The M1A2 SEP is armed with the 120 mm M256 smoothbore gun which can also be found on the M1A2, the M1A1 and the M1A1 HC, and has access to the same APFSDS and HEATFS ammunition as the M1A2.

As with the previous Abrams tanks, the M1A2 SEP's gun handles very well, with an excellent stabilizer that can be used to accurately fire at any speed and having a quick turret traverse. The gun has good depression and elevation angles which are the same as previous Abrams; negative 10 and positive 20 degrees respectively. An aced crew can reload the gun in six seconds which is the same as previous Abrams, on par with the Leopard 2s but slower than the Challenger 2s, Type 90s, TKX, and Type 10.

120 mm M256 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 42 -10°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 38.1 52.7 64.0 70.8 75.3 6.50 5.75 5.30 5.00
Realistic 23.8 28.0 34.0 37.6 40.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
M830 HEATFS 480 480 480 480 480 480
M830A1 HEAT MP 350 350 350 350 350 350
M829 APFSDS 491 488 481 473 464 454
M829A2 APFSDS 629 627 619 610 601 590
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M830 HEATFS 1,140 13.1 0.05 0.1 2.36 65° 72° 77°
M829 APFSDS 1,670 4.27 - - - 78° 80° 81°
M829A2 APFSDS 1,680 4.92 - - - 78° 80° 81°
Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Arming
distance (m)
Trigger
radius (m)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M830A1 HEAT MP 1,410 11.4 0.05 0.1 400 10 1.39 65° 72° 77°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M1A2 SEP
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
42 37 (+5) 19 (+23) 1 (+41) No

Machine guns

Ammunition1 000 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-9° / 65°
Ammunition200 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Ammunition1 400 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate941 shots/min
12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 200 (200) 577 N/A N/A
Pintle (commander) 1,000 (200) 577 -9°/+20° -10°/+170°
7.62 mm M240
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle (loader) 1,400 (200) 941 -9°/+65° -100°/-10°

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Depleted uranium composite armour layout in the frontal turret cheeks makes it extremely resistant from most munitions in the game
  • The M830A1 HEAT-FS shell can be effective at destroying helicopters and aircraft through proximity detonation
  • 2nd generation thermal sights for the commander, gunner and driver; an upgrade from previous Abrams series tanks
  • Like with other Abrams series tanks, it has good crew survivability
  • M829 APFSDS modification unlocked at tier 1
  • Powerful M829A2 APFSDS shell with excellent ballistics and penetration properties
  • Optional TUSK kit is available on the M1A2 SEP, coating the tank in ERA on the hull sides and increasing its chemical protection as well as adding an additional .50 cal HMG over the gun mantlet that can be fired by the gunner similar to Israeli MBTs

Cons:

  • Numerous weak spots in the armour layout:
    • Large and poorly armoured turret ring
    • Hits to the highly angled upper frontal plate will likely cause the incoming shell to ricochet into aforementioned poorly armoured turret ring, creating a massive weak spot exploitable even by low rank 5 tanks
    • Like with most high-rank MBTs, the gun mantlet is poorly armoured and creates an easy way to disable the cannon breech
    • The lower front plate is huge and has poor protection (~400 mm protection)
  • The engine deck is slightly raised, meaning that the gun cannot be depressed over the rear of the tank
  • High penetration APFSDS shells such as the Leopard 2A6's DM53 can still penetrate the turret cheeks at short ranges and at the right angle
  • The M1A2 SEP is the least manoeuvrable Abrams in the game due to its weight of 62.2 tons, with an additional 3.25 tons of weight if the TUSK kit is equipped
  • The stock HEAT-FS shell is very difficult to use at top rank battles as nearly all tanks the M1A2 faces has high levels of chemical protection and/or is coated in ERA. This leaves flank shots as the only option to deal damage, which in itself isn't the most reliable due to many tanks having high all-round chemical protection

History

In September 1994, just one month prior to the delivery of the first M1A1 HC, which would subsequently evolve into the M1A2, General Dynamic Land Systems was awarded a contract to conduct studies on the development of a modernization package for the upcoming M1A2. The work was intended to study the possibilities of equipping the M1A2 with the latest technology in the areas of firepower, protection and digital assets.

Becoming known as the System Enhancement Package (SEP), the upgrade was envisioned as a whole new production standard for newly produced units as well as being a refit for previously built ones. In 1995, the requirements for the upgrade package were formulated and the production contract was awarded to General Dynamic in 2001, with production lasting up until 2004.

While the M1A2 SEP was still in production, experiences from the US Invasion of Iraq unveiled in 2003 the vulnerability of tanks in urban combat environments. In response to this, American engineers designed the 'Tank Urban Survival Kit' (TUSK). It used readily available components to provide a substantial protection upgrade for M1 Abrams tanks, which could be flexibly fitted onto the vehicles by troops in the field, depending on mission requirements. In 2006, a total of over 500 of such kits were ordered and by 2008 all of the M1 Abrams stationed in Iraq were fitted with this modification.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

External links


USA medium tanks
M2  M2
M3  M3 Lee · ▃Grant I
M4  M4 · Calliope · M4A1 · M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (105) · M4A3 (76) W · M4/T26
M26 Pershing  T20 · T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26E1
M46/47/48 Patton  M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47 · M48A1 · T54E1 · T54E2
M60  M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A2 · M60A3 TTS · M728 CEV · 120S
MBT-70  MBT-70 · XM803
M1 Abrams  XM1 (Chrysler) · XM1 (GM)
  M1 Abrams · M1 KVT · IPM1
  M1A1 · M1A1 HC · M1A1 Click-Bait
  M1A2 Abrams · M1A2 SEP · M1A2 SEP V2
Other  T95E1
Australia  M1A1 AIM
Canada  M4A5
Israel  ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Merkava Mk.1 · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.3D
Turkey  M60 AMBT