M1A2 SEP

This page is about the American main battle tank M1A2 SEP. For other versions, see M1 Abrams (Family).

M1A2 SEP

M1A2 Abrams

M1A2 SEP V2

M1A2 SEP

M1A2 Abrams

M1A2 SEP V2

USA

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.0	12.0	12.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:200 000

Purchase:1 100 000

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 12.0 (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

RB4 159 → 6 795

SB5 264 → 8 601

Total cost of modifications298 100

485 000

Talisman cost3 200

Crew training310 000

Experts1 100 000

Aces2 300

Research Aces1 350 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

160 / 200 / 210 %

256 / 256 / 256 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 310 Suspension Research: 14 000 Cost: 21 000 340 Brake System Research: 14 000 Cost: 21 000 340 Filters Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 480 Transmission Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410	Improved Parts Research: 3 900 Cost: 20 000 310 Improved FPE Research: 4 200 Cost: 21 000 340 Crew Replenishment Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 480 ESS Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410	Horizontal Drive Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 310 120mm_DM_HEAT_FS_ammo_pack Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 310 120mm_M908_HE_OR_ammo_pack Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 310 Adjustment of Fire Research: 14 000 Cost: 21 000 340 TUSK Research: 14 000 Cost: 21 000 340 Elevation Mechanism Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 480 Laser rangefinder Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 480 Artillery Support Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410 120mm_M829A_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410 NVD Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 410

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°

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
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

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

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-9° / 65°

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition200 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

7.62 mm M240 machine gun

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

• Skins and camouflages for the M1A2 SEP from live.warthunder.com.

Market

Team RAWR - "eSport" trophy

Videos

The Shooting Range #326 - Metal Beasts section at 00:26 discusses the M1A2 SEP.

Explosive Armor Upgrade for Abrams?!!! M1A2 SEP Review - SUSLIK GAMING

See also

• M1 Abrams (Family)
  • M1A2 Abrams

External links

• [Devblog] M1A2 SEP TUSK: Up Close & Personal