M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1993-2018: 1993-2018

by Steven J. Zaloga, Felipe Rodríguez (Illustrator)

Overview

The long-awaited follow-up to NVG 2 M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982–92 (1993), this fully illustrated study examines the Abrams tanks' last quarter-century of service with both the United States and its various foreign operators with a focus on its combat history.

Since the Gulf War, the Abrams tank has undergone a transformation, while fighting in conflicts across the world. Its M1A1 and M1A2 variants have seen great improvements made to this iconic tank, including in fire-control, armor protection, and thermal imaging technology. Involvement in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan necessitated a number of upgrades and modifications as the United States fought two of its longest wars. Recent years have seen new variants of the series such as the ABV Assault Breacher Vehicle and M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge. Over the past few decades, the M1A1 Abrams has also been extensively exported and is license produced in Egypt.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472831781
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	03/19/2019
Series:	New Vanguard , #268
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	692,544
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over three decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. He lives in Maryland, USA.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Design and Development 4

The M1A1 Abrams MBT 11

Operation Desert Storm 14

The M1A2 16

M1A1 Modification Program 1990-2000 17

M1A2 Upgrade Program 19

Back to War 2003-15 21

Firepower Enhancements 28

M1A1SA 28

The Post-OIF M1A2 Abrams Upgrades 30

Marine Corps M1A1 Improvements 32

Abrams Active Protection Systems 35

Abrams Tank Derivatives 36

Assault Bridge Vehicles

Combat Engineer Breacher Vehicles

Abrams Export 43

Australia

Egypt

Iraq

Kuwait

Morocco

Saudi Arabia

Further Reading 47

Index 48