M1A2 Abrams tank

Panzerkampf Continues to Up Armor its Abrams Tanks

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit – Commander’s Vehicle, E Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored, Cavalry Regiment, Iraq, 2011

Late last year, Panzerkampf posted images of several different M1 Abrams tanks replicas, all of which boasted the US Army’s latest TUSK survivability equipment. TUSK improves protection, firepower, and Situation Awareness of the tanks. The TUSK includes such components as add-on explosive reactive armor and a slat armor, which provides protection against RPG rounds, 32 dischargers for 66-mm defensive grenades, which loaded with a combination of smoke and anti-personnel grenades, a transparent shielding around vehicle commander’s 12.7-mm machine gun that allow vehicle commander to be protected from enemy fire.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit – 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, FOB Hammer, Iraq, 2011

Even though we are still awaiting the release of the first set of vehicles, the manufacturer, earlier today, posted three more additions to its growing fleet of M1 Abrams models, this time centering around the exploits of several US armored units deployed to Iraq in 2011. Its not clear if this latest set of vehicles will be released in conjunction with the first set of products or if these are slated to come to market later this year.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit – 68th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Iraq, 2011

Keep in mind that it is entirely possible that the manufacturer has more Abrams tanks in the pipeline, as is common in the diecast military market.

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The DoD Breathes New Life into the Abrams

M1A2SEP

Back in 2014, long before the Russian T-14 Armata main battle tank was unveiled to the public, the US Department of Defense awarded General Dynamics with a contract to build 12 advanced main battle tanks with digital vetronics. Dubbed the M1A2 SEP Version 2, the tank, according to Military and Aerospace Electronics,  “is considered to be one of the most technologically advanced and most survivable digital tank available worldwide. The networked tank has an electronic backbone, improved processors, high-resolution color displays, increased memory capacity, a day and night forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sighting system, auxiliary power, a tank-infantry phone, and an open architecture designed to accommodate future upgrades without redesigns.”

Its not clear how the upgraded M1A2 SEP V2 will fair against Russia’s new battle tank in a one-on-one slugfest, or whether the Abrams has the ability to defeat other armed threats on the battlefield, particularly from air-launched heliborne assets. This electronics-based upgrade could serve as a short-term solution before  the Armata gets fielded en masse, further extending the life-cycle of several thousand battle tanks that have seen service throughout the world with a number of armies.

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