U.S. HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CONTINUES PUSH FOR COMMON ABRAMS TANK FLEET
NEWTOWN, Conn. - The U.S. House Armed Services Committee believes that the Army's efforts to maintain two configurations of M1 Abrams tanks is inefficient and increasingly expensive. All active armored brigade combat teams are equipped with the most advanced M1A2 SEPv2 tanks, but only two out of seven ABCTs in the National Guard have them. The other five Guard ABCTs, and three separate Combined Arms Battalions, are equipped with M1A1 Situational Awareness tanks. The Army also only provides training on the M1A2 SEPv2 tanks, meaning many Guard soldiers are trained on tanks they will not be using in the field. The Army is currently planning another upgrade, the M1A2 SEPv3, which will provide incremental improvements over the SEPv2 configuration.
The committee has long-held that the Army should convert all of its tanks to the most recent configuration, and the FY16 markup continues to push that narrative. In a report accompanying its markup, the committee says the Army should take advantage of upcoming changes to its ABCT force structure to achieve a pure fleet of M1A2 SEPv2 tanks across both the active duty and National Guard. Secretary of Army is directed to brief lawmakers on potential force structure changes and production programs necessary to achieve a pure fleet of M1 Abrams tanks. The House markup provides $407.9 million for Abrams upgrades, reflecting an increase of $40 million over the request.
Source: Forecast International - International Military Markets
Associated URL:
http://www.forecastinternational.com
Author: S. McDougall, North America Analyst
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