That link is nice but it does not cover the earlier variants of the Abrams, which may be of interest to modelers or historians.
Ken
Here is an article I did on the old site in '95 that covers up through the M1A2 SEP.
Thats a nice article, does have a couple minor mistakes, mostly on the M1IP; but the photos are all gone. Maybe you could do a new version of it for the current site.
Ken
This goes back to an earlier post someone put up a year or more ago.
He wanted to know what that red circle is. I actually asked the US Army and General Dynamics and they won’t say anything back then.
To me, I think it is an Infra-red blackout light for driver’s assistance, but being IR, no one wants to admit how detectable it can be to anyone wearing NVGs. Or is it a sensor to detect incoming rounds for Trophy? Note the armored channel running to it so it is a permanent fixture.
Yes, you can see the armored channel in the link below, but not that dull black rectangle and it’s that rectangle that is the mystery. It doesn’t resemble glass or is reflective and if IR light, it has no bulbs showing. I don’t think the US Army even mentions it in their M1A2SEPv3 descriptions but it did say that SEPv3s have “integrated counter-improvised explosive device protection” so it could be an IED jammer although why it’s so up high and not at the sloped bow is another mystery.
https://forums.kitmaker.net/t/looking-for-an-explanation-on-this-m1-mbt/13864
General Dynamics shows it on their M1A2SEPv3 webpage right by the driver’s hatch.
“New in the SEPv3 upgrade are additional electrical power from an auxiliary power unit, network upgrades, stronger armor for greater protection, an ammo data link to interface with advanced ammunition and reduced maintenance strain.” —General Dynamics Land Systems webpage.
On hindsight, I think it is a sensor for the programmable advanced ammo although in “hull down” configuration, the sensor will point to the sky.
Thoughts, anyone?
Could it be a holder for something?
The shape and colour does not reveal anything about the function since the functional part isn’t mounted?
The “Looking for an explanation on this” has a great photo shot of the bow. There are even armored nub protrusions to mount the black rectangle so it is something new on the SEPv3 and not on the M1A2.
https://www.gdls.com/equipment/m1a2-main-battle-tank.html
Laser Warning Receivers do not resemble the black rectangle.
And if for programmable advanced ammo, the 120mm gun can point in another direction from the hull so it’s either for the driver or for Anti-IED because it is on the hull.
It’s a solar powered heater for warming Vegan MREs 
A more eco friendly M1.
5 Likes
I did learn something about the M1 over the last weekend. A buddy of mine who’s one of those guys that likes to restore old military equipment had a series of pictures taken of M88’s. (including the gasoline fuel ones). Then he comes up with a series of photos taken in New Mexico cleaning up a tractor trailer crash of military equipment. They were using at least two tank retrievers built off the Abrams hull! I thought that project was dead. It didn’t take much looking and thinking to know it would be a tremendous amount of work to convert the M1 into one. Looks like a lot of modifications went into the lower hull before even adding the top half. Then he showed me another retriever that I’d never seen before. It appeared to be in use today. The crane (boom) looked like the one off the Berg-leopard, but much heavier. The lower half reminded me of the M88 but maybe a little bit longer. Just never seen anything like it. Looked like they were using it out west in the desert. Another interesting thing about it was that it had a spade on both ends. Ever see such a thing?
gary
The above is the latest fielded version of the M88, the M88A2 Hercules. It ahs a heavier duty, square frame boom, larger winches, more armor, etc…
The only Abrams Recovery prototype I have seen is this one. It was not accepted/funded by the US military.
Are there kits of the M88A2?
I read back WAY back then somewhere that there were concerns about the M88 not having the horsepower to tow the M1A2 Abrams and that the tow hooks, winch, tow bars, etc. weren’t powerful or strong enough, hence the M88A2 version.
Perhaps the US Army “Frankenstein-ed” an Abrams hull to test the concept of recovering the heavier M1A2s…and now the M1A2SEPs. This would look extremely bad not being able to recover your MBT under any conditions.
An interesting sidenote…the Navy’s LCAC is overloaded when a M1A2 is on it. Now with the new SSC hovercraft replacement, it can haul a M1A2 at 74 tons…but the USMC got rid of their M1A1s.
that Abrams version is similar, but just a little different (not much). The photos I saw were from New Mexico, and the upper hull looked different. The lower is similar
gary
close, but no cigar. First of all the boom was probably 50% heavier. Looks longer in the two photos, but that could be a lie. One thing I do remember was that the boom was centered in the hull. Just never seen anything like it
gary
reverse what I wrote!! The light colored one looks like the two in the photos from N.M… The lower one looks odd.
gary
No full kit, but there were/are a couple resin conversion sets using the AFV Club M88A1 kit.
Real Model did one, I think it is OOP though.
Legend does one as well.
The M88A2 remains at the top of my wishlist for 1/35 styrene.
I read somewhere that the legend conversion set did not fit very well. Wonder if it was just that modelers particular kit? It was a while ago but it was on this site. Can’t remember the modeler either.
No idea. I have the Legend set, but haven’t tried to put it on the kit yet.