Meet the M1E3: It’s already been said a bazillion-and-one times before, but now we’ll say it again for the bazillionth-and-second time: the American-made M1 Abrams is the most successful main battle tank (MBT) of all time, as proven its utterly dominating performances in the crucible of real-world combat, e.g., the 1991 Persian Gulf War, aka Operation Desert Storm, and 2003 Iraq War, aka Operation Iraqi Freedom, against the hypothetically equal Soviet-made T-72 MBT. One of the reasons for the enduring success of the Abrams it that it hasn’t remained frozen in time; rather, it has shown adaptability to continuous improvements in its 46-year history, from the M1A1, which upgraded the primary armament from a 105mm to a 120mm main gun, to the current M1A2 SEPv3…and the Next Big Thing in the platform’s development, the M1E3. And, in fact, we went and got right up to the new tank at the Detroit Auto Show. M1E3 Abrams Tank. Taken by 19FortyFive.com M1E3 Abrams Tank. Taken by 19FortyFive.com M1E3 from Detroit Auto Show. 19FortyFive.com Original Image. So then, what’s the skinny, i.e., what’s the latest & greatest news on this soon-to-be latest & greatest member of the Abrams tank family? Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) The most recent update that this writer has been able to dig up is a 3 June 2026 article on the Army Recognition website titled “U.S. Army Accelerates M1E3 Abrams Tank with $474M Funding Ahead of 2028 Production.” To elaborate further upon that partially self-explanatory title, “According to the U.S. Army’s FY 2027 President’s Budget request, the service aims to deliver M1E3 prototype vehicles to soldiers within 24 to 30 months. The program is one of several priority modernization efforts being accelerated through acquisition reforms and digital engineering initiatives intended to shorten development timelines and rapidly field new combat capabilities.” This is certainly an encouraging sign. Back in November 2025, it was reported that in September of that same year, the then-Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Randy A. George, stated that four M1E3 prototypes would be operational within Army formations at some point in 2026, further noting that “the new tanks will be completely software-driven, require a smaller crew, be modular, and will be equipped with an active protection system. Once the Army receives them, crews will try the tanks out and then decide what they need.” From a bigger picture point of view, the M1E3 program is a part & parcel of the wider Next Generation Combat Vehicle modernization portfolio, which also includes an FY 2027 budget allocation of $547 million to the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle—the anointed replacement for the longstanding M2 Bradley—and more than $1.1 billion for procurement of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which is intended to replace the Vietnam War-era and legacy M113 Family of Vehicles. M1E3 Tank at the Detroit Auto Show. Image Credit: 19FortyFive. M1E3 Tank at the Detroit Auto Show. Image Credit: 19FortyFive. M1E3 Tank at the Detroit Auto Show. Image Credit: 19FortyFive. Fancy Features of the M1E3 Among the alluring and appealing attributes of Abrams Edition E3 are: -Autoloader capabilities for the main gun to facilitate an unmanned turret -Alternate power trains -A 10-ton reduction in weight; for the basis of comparison, current M1 models weigh in excess of 70 tons -A more “green-friendly” hybrid electric diesel engine that will be 50 percent more fuel-efficient than earlier Abrams models. As for the earlier manifestations of the Abrams, one of their major selling points was the first-of-its-kind Chobham armor—an arrangement of metal and ceramic plates—which gave it such incredible survivability and virtual impregnability against the main guns of various adversaries’ tanks, such as the 2A46/2A46M 125mm smoothbore cannon of the T-72. The Army Recognition article doesn’t specify whether the M1E3 will continue to use the old-school Chobham armor or employ an entirely new type of armor altogether in order to gain that 10-lb. weight loss advantage. But What About Drones? A very valid and relevant question for any tanker to ask, as the Russia-Ukraine War has repeatedly and dramatically shown us in the past 4.5 years. The tentative answer to the question looks fairly encouraging. A September 11, 2025 report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS; obviously not to be confused that other kind of CRS), one of the other salient features of the tank’s modernization program will be “an active protection system (APS) designed to protect the M-1E3 from anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and threats from a variety of armed aerial drones and loitering munitions.” Moreover, that aforementioned unmanned turret would presumably further boost the crew’s prospects for survival against drones, or any other enemy weapon system, for that matter. Meanwhile, on the flip side of the drone war discussion, the M1E3 will also be blessed with the ability to communicate with friendly forces’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). About the Author: Christian D. Orr Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (with a concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series,” the second edition of which was recently published.
