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United States General Dynamics Land Systems
M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams
Latest production standard of the U.S. Army's M1 Abrams main battle tank, featuring an improved armor package, third-generation FLIR and vehicle health monitoring. It retains the 120 mm smoothbore gun and gas-turbine propulsion that have defined the Abrams line since 1980.
In service since 2017 · 8 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
67
km/h
426
km range
23.8
hp/t
120
mm gun
66,800
kg
💲 ≈ $10,500,000 — Approximate per-unit SEPv3 upgrade cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Established · 8 operators
In service since 2017. Status: active · ~10,300 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$26M – $37M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The M1A2 SEP v3 (now designated M1A2C) is the most advanced fielded version of the American Abrams, a tank whose design philosophy prizes crew protection and a powerful sensor-and-fire-control suite. It retains the 120mm M256 smoothbore gun and the gas-turbine engine that has defined the Abrams since the 1980s, but adds upgraded armour, better power generation, an ammunition data link for programmable rounds, and improved networking and diagnostics.
Built by General Dynamics Land Systems, the Abrams remains the backbone of US Army armour and serves with allies including Australia, Poland and several Gulf states. The SEP v3 is a bridge toward the leaner, lighter M1E3 concept, which is intended to address the platform's considerable weight and fuel demands.
A small number of Abrams were supplied to Ukraine in 2023 and saw combat in 2024, with several lost to drones, mines and anti-tank missiles. Those losses fed a wider debate about the survivability of heavy armour on a battlefield saturated with cheap loitering munitions, reinforcing the case for the Army's move toward a next-generation design.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 67 km/h Stronger than 48% of main battle tanks
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 426 km Stronger than 15% of main battle tanks
- Power-to-weight
Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.
- 23.8 hp/t Stronger than 63% of main battle tanks
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 1,655 m/s Stronger than 41% of main battle tanks
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 120 mm M256A1 smoothbore cannon
- Secondary armament
Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.
- .50 cal M2 + 2x 7.62 mm M240 machine guns
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 120 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 42 Stronger than 70% of main battle tanks
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Composite armor with third-generation depleted-uranium mesh inserts
- Active protection
Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.
- Trophy
- Reactive armor
Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.
- No
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- smoke grenade launchers, Trophy APS
- NBC protection
Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.
- Yes
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 9.77 m
- Width
Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.
- 3.66 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 2.44 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 66,800 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,500 hp Stronger than 85% of main battle tanks
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 1,900 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Gas turbine
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- third-generation FLIR, commander's independent thermal viewer
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $10,500,000 Stronger than 15% of main battle tanks
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 10,300 Top 4% of main battle tanks
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 8 Stronger than 89% of main battle tanks
Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Land Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
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What is the top speed of the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has a maximum speed of 67 km/h.
What is the range of the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has a maximum range of 426 km.
How much does the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams weigh? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has a combat weight of 66,800 kg.
How many crew does the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams require? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams's primary weapon is the 120 mm M256A1 smoothbore cannon.
What engine does the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams use? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is powered by the Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine.
What is the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams used for? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is operated by 8 countries.
How much does the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams cost? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has an approximate unit cost of 10,500,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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