Apparently the first M1E3 prototype has been delivered to the US Army & will be displayed in Detroit in January 2026.
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I don’t know how old those M1E3 models are, but there are some new loitering munitions (such as General Dynamics Land Systems’s PERCH for the M1A2) and other systems like three-axis FLIR sensors that make those models appear a bit dated. One just needs to look at the AbramsX to see how some of those new systems have been integrated.
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The implementation of PERCH is what happens when you already have a fleet with that particular turret configuration. Lots of ways to skin the loitering munition cat, should that be what is needed.
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Well lads, the time has come….
It was a foregone conclusion, it was just a matter of time.
The US too has dispatched with the manual loader, and instead opted for the auto loader.
I shall weep for a long time….
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The U.S. Army confirmed that it has taken delivery of its first M1E3 Abrams tank prototype from General Dynamics Land Systems, according to Defense Daily.
As reported by Defense Daily on December 12, 2025, the U.S. Army confirmed it has received the first prototype of the M1E3 Abrams main battle tank, marking the transition of the program from design into testing. U.S. Army leadership states that the early delivery supports a revised acquisition approach focused on shortened development timelines and early soldier evaluation.
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I don’t see any viewing prisms for the hull hatches, and the hull hatches look better than I anticipated so that should make ingress and egress better, I hope. That basically means that the M1E3 depends on the camera system for viewing, which has pros and cons.
But really, how true are these photos? The CITV is missing…a critical piece of sighting hardware. The CITV may have been replaced by the three-axis rooftop FLIR as on the AbramsX or a CITV in the middle of the turret. Nonetheless, I am surprised that they capped where the CITV is instead of placing something electronic there.
It still looks very conventional…not many structural shape changes made, but then again the photos are very clipped so we’ll see later on in the future what has changed and what remains the same. For one thing, the turret doesn’t look like it has changed much.
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And coming in FY36:
We got rid of the manual loader in 2030; this time we got rid of the rest of the meat sacks.
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I’m guessing it’s a very early proof of concept. We’ll get more pics on the 10th at the Detroit Auto Show.
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I’m kind of hoping that they go away from the turbine. Great in concept but has more issues then benefits in my opinion. I’ll be waiting in my hill to die there should anybody wish to engage me in one v one combat.
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I disagree on that. The turbine has hardly any large maintenance compared to diesel engine. It sucks fuel for sure, and the filters need to be cleaned daily, but that’s the trade off.
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Maybe I got stuck with some crappy tanks but the ones I’ve worked on were always having issues and are very touchy when it comes to maintenance. My record in one day was 12 packs pulled and set and the 88s with a big diesel didn’t have any big issues.
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I guess it could be on how old the tanks were. I was on ‘60’s that were long in the tooth and we had problems with then blowing cylinder heads, but they were used hard. What I really remember is doing Q-services and the like and how much the mechanics worked on the engines compared to turbines. I imagine that if you’re going for a newish tank then a new engine is in the cards.
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I think by the time I got to the Abrams the engines were run thru the wringer. I think there are pluses and minuses to both, but I think the standard diesels have come a long way and might be worth a look into again.
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I’m sure you’re right and adding a computer might help (or not).
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I don’t know how to respond to being told I might be right nobody has ever said those words to me.
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I’m sure you’re right sometimes like me.
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Here is a build I did about a yr ago for my concept for a M1E3 ( eventually M1A3)
For the build I used Amusing hobbys’s Abrams X with bits added from Rye field’s M1A1 Leopard 2 tracks from Tamiya’s leopard 2 i kept the abrams X hull and modified it with just the driver in the hull and a extensive modification to tbe turret for commander and a gunner and maybe a human loader
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