Photos of the M1E3 are also posted on LinkedIn of this prototype, but no explanations or specifications of its capabilities have been disclosed.
Photos are from X “Armored Warfare” for the bottom photo with the two gentlemen and YouTube for the side profile photo.
I like it…I think that the design makes sense. Linkedin said that the M1E3 weighs 10 tons less and has a remote unmanned weapons turret. The crew sits in the hull. From the internet, no capabilities description was disclosed, but you can see that there are no protruding smoke grenade launchers, or they are flush with the turret faces.
Looks photoshopped to me. In the 2nd pic, the whole front end is covered up by the background of the pic of the soldier and other guy. I’m not buying it at all.
In 2019, before the AbramsX broke cover, the Army Science Board (ASB) stated it would take about 6 years to develop the program for prototypes and FSED examples. In late 2023, the ASB announced the projected date for first vehicles is now 2030. The AbramsX changed the timeline because GDLS showed a different path forward. After shutting down the M1A2 SEv4, the Army has stated that they will execute the program and field the first PV or FSED as early as summer of 2027 or early 2028.
If that’s supposed to be two pics of the same tank, then why does the first one have an inverted “V” over 51 (S1) on the front right side, and the second pic lacks that?
I had that thought: and I surmised the whole thing is a clever photoshop over a mockup. The picture depth with the two humans is too sharp edged, and given that the picture was probably shot on a small f-stop leads me to believe someone is deep-faking us.
What i mean is that that military vehicles have to be PFC-proof. Capable of operating without being totally destroyed by some snot-nosed, 19-year-old PFC fresh out of Tanker School.
From Reddit…photo from “TankPorn” AUSA 2025. Is this an example of the M1E3? Note the thin plates on the sides turret face and the repositioning of the smoke grenade launchers.
Yes, it’s a model, but the LP-CROWS II and loader’s M240 machine gun is removed, and it has laser warning receivers. It appears to have a few loitering munition launchers in the rear turret basket. There appears to be a device on top of the 120mm’s gun fume extractor.
The questions would be…one, why make a model of the M1A2 so different than what it was?
I attended AUSA 25 & had the opportunity to talk to respective BD folk about both PERCH & the Trophy model. For context, I attend between 3-8 defence trade shows annually, such as AUSA, DSEI, Eurosatory, & IDEX since 2011. When I have time, I wander the show floor/s & speak to the BD staff to understand their pitch.
Firstly, PERCH. GDLS frequently exhibits concepts & “paper panzers” to explore customer interest & to “inform requirements”. AbramsX - exhibited at AUSA 22 - is an example of this.
PERCH is “unsolicited”, that is, generated by GDLS internally, not at customer request. It’s trying to broaden the employability of Abrams against the prevailing narrative the “tanks are obsolete”. I categorise PERCH as “interesting but not influential”.
The Trophy model: these have evolved over the years. The first models had the radar panels mounted flush on the Abrams turret front panels.
From what has been released by GDLS & the US Army publicly, I’m expecting something closer to AbramsX (three crew in the hull, optionally crewed turret, bustle autoloader) than anything exhibited at AUSA 25.
The funny thing is the the ones who will anilize it will be the gamers who play world of tanks and war thunder who claim to be experts on armor and armored warfair
