M1A2 SEP

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". As of 26th of October 2022 the M1A2 SEP is the top researchable vehicle in the American ground forces tech tree. In the it states that M1A2 SEP is "An advanced modification of the M1 Abrams tank, featuring improved firepower and protection" with features being "Improved thermal imaging" and "TUSK add-on armor kit". Also this variant of Abrams replaces night vision to thermal vision for the driver from the previous tank.

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 it's 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 1000 mm and 1200 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	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	76	43	62.2	2058	2,898	33.09	46.59
Realistic	69	39		1343	1,519	21.59	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. Its ammo selection is the same as M1A2.

As with the previous Abrams 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, it's slower than the Challenger 2s, Type 90s, 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	7.80	6.90	6.36	6.00
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	HEATFS	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	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
M829A2	APFSDS	1,680	4.92	N/A	N/A	N/A	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	HEATFS	1,410	11.4	0.05	0.1	400	10	1.39	65°	72°	77°

File:M1A2 sep abrams ammo racks.png

This shows the ammo racks for M1A2 SEP (the location is the same as for M1A2)

Ammo racks

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
Pintle (Commander)	1,000 (200)	577	-9°/+65°	-160°/+180°

7.62 mm M240
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	10,000 (200)	941	N/A	N/A
Pintle (Loader)	1,400 (200)	941	-9°/+65°	-180°/+20°

Usage in battles

The M1A2 SEP like the previous Abrams is well rounded jack of all trades vehicle capable of any role or task the player decides to carry out. Just like previous Abrams it has an effective combination of protection, firepower, situational awareness and mobility which allows the player to adapt to any task on the battlefield, which includes close-quarters fighting in urban areas to long-range engagements on large open maps.

Urban combat

The M1A2 SEP has good mobility and improved protection over the M1A2 from the sides of the hull due to TUSK kit which increases survivability and can help the player to function better as an effective brawler in close-quarters than M1A2. The M1A2 SEP's reload rate is faster when aced to its counterparts, with the exception of the Challenger 2s and Type 90s, and Type 10 tanks. This enables the player to deal great amount of damage in a short period of time to single or multiple enemies. Therefore the M1A2 SEP could be leading the charge into urban areas as well as act as a frontline vehicle as it's able to deal significant amount of damage when used by a skilled player.

One thing to remember is that the TUSK upgrade kit adds 3250 kg to the tank as well as causes +2.6 m to braking distance and +0.7 to acceleration speed, it could be advisable to remove the upgrade if the player wishes to maximise speed of the tank.

Long range combat

On large maps with open areas, the M1A2 SEP is able to utilise its high turret protection and commander's thermal imaging to give it the upper hand in long-range battles. The mobility of the M1A2 SEP allows it to reach strategic positions that overlook key areas of the map. The improvement from the previous Abrams means that the M1A2 SEP can use second generation thermal vision like in M1A1 AIM which allows faster identification of targets at range and in dense woodland giving it an advantage. As with M1A2 the M1A2 SEP's commander thermal imager enables the player to keep track of threats all around the vehicle and monitor the battlefield without exposing the turret.

The M1A2 SEP can be used as an sniper by using commander's thermal sight to look for enemy positions without exposing the tank until the player decides to do so and tank's turret armour enables the tank to be extremely hard to destroy if it's kept in a hull down position which gives the player an advantage. The M1A2 SEP can also be used to attack the enemy head on such as going for the capture points and then retreating to a safe position to protect the capture points.

Notable enemies

• Leopard 2A5/2A6: These tanks are the main counterparts of the M1A2 SEP. Though the M1A2 SEP has better firepower than the Leopard 2A5, the Leopard 2A6 has superior firepower. The DM53 APFSDS the Leopard 2A6 is equipped with is capable of penetrating the turret cheek of the M1A2 at closer ranges. Therefore Leopards 2s are dangerous and should be a high priority target that should be approached with caution. When hull down, the Leopard 2s can only be effectively penetrated through the gun mantlet or a lucky shot into the turret ring therefore it's advisable to aim for the gun area a this can result in damaging the cannon or breech, temporarily stopping the enemy fro returning fire. It's advisable to aim for the left side of the hull if it's visible as the crew members are lined up and usually results in knocking out the tank in one shot if done correctly.

• T-80U: It will be difficult to deal with T-80U if the player is not aware of it's disadvantages and weaknesses as the frontal protection of the tank is strong, it is advised to aim around the gun and the driver's hatch as those are the weak spots, like other t-series vehicles they can be destroyed using a single shot as the tanks have tightly packed interior with the turret crew sitting on top of the ammunition. It is also advised to attack the sides of the T-80U's hull as they're very weak and a single shot can result in the detonation of the hull ammo carousel to destroy the T-80U.

• Leclerc: Despite Leclerc's good firepower and mobility which could pose a problem, the tank's armour scheme present three main weak spots frontally; the massive and extremely weak mantlet, the UFP (upper frontal plate) and LFP (lower frontal plate). There weak points are easy to hit and can knock out the crew or do serious damage to the vehicle.
• Challenger 2 Black Night: Due to it's armour vulnerabilities the Black Night could be used as a sniper which is something the player should be vary of, when going against the Black Night it's advisable to aim for the driver's hatch, the gun area to damage the cannon or breech and the lower frontal plate as those are weak spots that could do serious damage to the enemy tank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Uranium composite armour layout in the frontal turret makes it extremely difficult to be penetrated by munitions in the game (the frontal turret could have difficulties against Leopard 2A6's DM53 at short ranges)
• The M830A1 HEAT-FS shell can be effective at destroying helicopters and aircraft through proximity detonation
• Thermal sight for the commander, gunner and driver
• Second generation thermal view which is an upgrade from first generation view in M1A2
• Like other Abrams tanks it has good crew survivability
• M829 APFSDS modification unlocked at tier I
• Powerful M829A2 APFSDS shell with excellent ballistics and penetration properties
• TUSK kit is available on the M1A2 SEP making the tank resistant to chemical rounds from the side of the hull

Cons:

• Like with previous Abrams tanks they're very easy to penetrate (even by low rank 5 tanks) as hits on the UFP (upper frontal plate) could auto bounce into the turret, often incapacitating the gunner and commander, as well as detonating the ammo
• Has the same massive weak spot in the turret ring as previous Abrams which any tank in the game can penetrate, a hit to the highly angled upper front plate will likely cause the incoming shell to ricochet into the turret ring, destroying critical components and knocking out crew members
• The LFP (lower front plate) is huge and has very poor protection(~400 mm protection)
• Has the same weak spots as its preceding variants
• The gun mantlet weak spot on the turret
• The DM53 that Leopard 2A6 user has a good chance of penetrating the turret cheeks if they're hit at a right angle
• The M1A2 SEP is the least manoeuvrable Abrams in the game, due to its weight of 62.2 tonnes with additional 3.25 tons of weight with TUSK kit equipped
• Like with previous Abrams the stock HEAT-FS shell is very difficult to use at top tier as every tank the player faces has more than 600mm of chemical protection or being coated in ERA frontally. Flank shots are the only reliable way to do damage and get kills
• Like with most Abrams series tanks, the engine deck is slightly raised, meaning that you will not be able to depress the gun over the rear of the tank.

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.

Media

Videos

See also

M1 Abrams family wiki page

The Abrams family - war thunder official channel video

External links

Devblog - M1A2 SEP TUSK: Up Close & Personal