Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 18

However, it is possible for a few key enhancements
to today’s M1 Abrams to substantially increase that
platform’s effectiveness with manageable technological
risk and cost to prolong its serviceable lifespan. The key
is to merge the existing strengths of the Abrams with
some promising technologies. The Abrams is mobile,
survivable, and lethal to line- of-sight targets within
four or five kilometers. That said, its engine design is
based on older technologies, meaning that it requires
frequent refueling, and its main weapon cannot engage
targets outside five kilometers or its line of sight.

Increased Range
Bearing in mind the low losses suffered by Abrams
from enemy action during Operations Desert Storm
and Iraqi Freedom, it could be argued that the M1’s
range limitations hindered optimal full tactical employment far more than did enemy action. In Desert
Storm (1991), tremendous efforts were required to
keep fuel-hungry U.S. mechanized forces supplied,
which shaped the timing of the ground war. Similar
fuel-related constraints hampered operations during

Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. For example, in one
case, a brigade came within an hour of running out of
fuel.16 Additionally, U.S. forces had to be diverted from
the drive on Baghdad to isolate and clear urban areas
used by Iraqi irregulars as bases from which to interdict
U.S. supply convoys.17 In Baghdad, several ammunition
and fuel trucks were lost while running a gauntlet of
enemy fire to reach isolated armored units holding key
intersections—units that were in dire need of resupply.
Therefore, it is time to re-evaluate options to increase
the Abrams’ range.18
Over the three plus decades the M1 has been in
service, the Army has upgraded or replaced almost
everything on it but the original Textron Lycoming
AGT 1500 turbine engine (based on late-1960s technology). The Army did award a development contract
in 2000 for a new turbine engine to be used in both
the Abrams and the then-planned Crusader artillery
vehicle, but this effort ended shortly after the Crusader
was cancelled.19 The M1A2 System Enhancement
Program upgrade added an auxiliary power unit, which
saves fuel by reducing the need to run the engine at idle

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, fuel their M1A1 Abrams main battle tank at a traffic control point
outside the city of Samarra, Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq, during Operation Baton Rouge, 3 October 2004.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Cuomo)

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November-December 2014  MILITARY REVIEW