M1A2 SEP V2
| This page is about the American main battle tank M1A2 SEP V2. For other versions, see M1 Abrams (Family). |
Contents
Description
The combat operations of the early 2000s with Operation Iraqi Freedom showcased that the M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) still had rooms for improvements. Combat-oriented upgrades such as the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) I and II were first fitting to the M1A2 SEP. However, following the cancellation for the US Army Future Combat System program, it becomes clear the M1A2 Abrams will remain the workhorse of the US Army for the foreseeable future, and work began on the next upgrade for the M1A2 Abrams with SEP V2. SEP V2 incorporated many internal changes to the sights, computers and electronics, as well as a new auxillary power unit. The most notable exterior change was the addition of a CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station) to allow the commander to remotely operate the heavy machine gun atop the tank. The M1A2 SEP V2 was accepted into service for the US Army in 2008, equipping all Armor Brigade Combat Teams by 2013.
The Tank, Combat, Full Tracked, 120-mm Gun M1A2 SEP V2 was introduced in Update "Air Superiority". The primary differences on the M1A2 SEP V2 compared to the preceding M1A2 SEP is the elevated CROWS for the M2 Browning machine gun and the ARAT II explosive reactive armour that can be attached. The extra weight from these non-removable additions put the M1A2 SEP V2 at around 66 tons, reducing the tank’s overall mobility compared to M1A2 SEP. The only characteristic that went unchanged is the firepower, firing the same shells through the same M256 cannon. The biggest plus of the M1A2 SEP V2 is that player has the opportunity of being able to bring two M1A2 SEP into battle without having to use a backup, which can be an advantage for team composition in its own way.
General info
Survivability and armour
Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 76 | 43 | 66.1 | 2058 | 2,898 | 31.13 | 43.84 |
| Realistic | 69 | 39 | 1343 | 1,519 | 20.32 | 22.98 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.
| 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 |
| M829 | APFSDS | 491 | 488 | 481 | 473 | 464 | 454 |
| M830A1 | HEAT MP | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 |
| M829A2 | APFSDS | 629 | 627 | 619 | 610 | 601 | 590 |
| M908 | HE-OR | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| 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° | |||
| M908 | HE-OR | 1,410 | 11.4 | 0.4 | 5 | 1.99 | 65° | 72° | 77° | |||
| 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 | 1.99 | 65° | 72° | 77° | |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.
| 12.7 mm M2HB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| ___ (___) | ___ | __° | __° | |
| 7.62 mm M240 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| ___ (___) | ___ | __° | __° | |
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:
- Proximity-fused rounds
- Decent armour
- Amazing reload time (with an ace crew)
- Amazing APFSDS round
- A lot of secondary armaments
- Has ERA
- Amazing thermal
- Commanders sights
Cons:
- Heavy weight
- Large size
- Decently sized weak spots
- ERA cannot be removed
- ERA not as effective compared to other tanks
- No spall liner
History
As the M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) tank came in to become the new standard US Army tank for the turn of the millennia, focus on developing the M1A2 Abrams declined as priority went into the development of the Future Combat System (FCS) that was expected to start replacing the Abrams in 2015. Instead, development steps during the early 2000s were moreso reactionary to the insurgency warfare in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003. Such modifications included IED jammers, bustle rack extensions, armored gun shields for the machine guns, and Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK).[1]
However, as FCS continued to have development problem and would eventually be cancelled in 2009, the US Army realized that the M1A2 SEP would be the main battle tank for the army a little while longer than expected. As such, in 2006, the US Army contracted General Dynamics Land System (GDLS) to begin developing the next SEP version, simply designated “SEP V2”. SEP V2 was primarily an improvement to internal components, adapting the gun controls to accept the latest ammunitions, new processing and memory improvements for the computers, new color displays, new operating system, refurbished engines, new transmission, and a battery-powered auxiliary power unit. For external components, the most prominent change was the implementation of a M153A1E1 CROWS-LP (Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station-Low Profile) that allowed the commander to fire the machine gun from within the tank’s protection. In February 2008, the M1A2 SEP V2 was accepted into service and GDLS would be awarded a contract to upgrade 435 M1A1 Abrams into M1A2 SEP V2 standards, which was fulfilled by January 2017.[2][3] The M1A2 SEP V2 remained the primary workhorse of the US Army. It also served as the basis of tests for the hard-kill active protection systems, such as Raytheon’s Quick Kill APS system, the Rafael Trophy system, and a new Modular APS program. In September 2017, the US Army provided a contract for 261 Trophy systems to be implemented onto M1A2 SEP V2 tanks,[4] and in July 2022 GDLS was contracted to procure and provide Trophy for M1A2 SEP V2 tanks and onwards.[5]
Work already began on improving the M1A2 SEP V2 further down the service life and in June 2011, a new set of improvements in the form of Engineering Change Proposals (ECP) was set.[3] The improvements called for new power generation and monitoring capabilities, utilization of Line-Replaceable Modules maintenance scheme, IED jammers, an ammunition data link for smart munition usage, auxiliary power unit, and armor upgrades.[6] These ECP were folded into M1A2 SEP V3, of which GLDS was contracted in September 2012 to develop, with the first M1A2 SEP V3 begin deliveries in October 2017. [3]
A further development of the M1A2 Abrams started in 2022 as the M1A2 SEP V4 with the first prototype arriving at Fort Hood for the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Brigade Combat Team in 1st Cavalry Division. The SEP V4 was supposed to introduce a new commander and gunner primary sight, both with new laser range finders, thermal imagers, and video cameras; a new meteorological sensor to collect weather data, new communication and data sharing systems, and an upgrade to the ammunition data link for the upcoming XM1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round.[7] However, SEP V4 was officially cancelled in September 2023 as the US Army announced a change in focus in improving the Abrams combat capability for the future with the development of the M1E3 variant.[8]
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the vehicles;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Givens, Ashley. 2017. "Army rolls out latest version of iconic Abrams Main Battle Tank". US Army. Last modified October 09, 2017. Website (Archive).
- Green, Michael. 2015. Images of War: M1 Abrams Tank Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives. South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Military.
- Trevithick, Joseph. 2022. "". The War Zone. Last modified October 06, 2022. Website (Archive).
- US Army Public Affairs. 2023. "Army Announces Plans for M1E3 Abrams Tank modernization". US Army. Last modified September 06, 2023. Website (Archive)
- US Department of Defense. 2022. "Contracts For July 7, 2022". US Department of Defense. Last modified July 07, 2022. Website (Archive).
- Zaloga, Steven J. 2019. M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1993-2018. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing.
| 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 |
- Ground vehicles
- USA ground vehicles
- Eighth rank ground vehicles
- Medium tanks
- Ground vehicles with explosive reactive armour
- Ground vehicles with composite armour
- Ground vehicles with smoke grenades
- Ground vehicles with engine smoke generating system
- Ground vehicles with night vision device
- Ground vehicles with thermal sight
- Ground vehicles with gun stabilizer
