How much longer do you guys think that the M1A2 will be in service? Also I would like to know if there are any current projects going on to replace the Abrams. Thats all, thanks.

How much longer do you guys think that the M1A2 will be in service? Also I would like to know if there are any current projects going on to replace the Abrams. Thats all, thanks.

The M1A2 will probally be the last so called MBT and no I dont know of any plans to replace it, its a fairly upgradeable platform anway.

I remember reading about and seeing pictures of the NextGen tanks back in 1986. They were suppose to have kinetic energy guns and operated by remote. But all of these designs were eventually abandoned due to budget cuts. I guess the M1 tank will have to be around for a long time. They already have the TUSK version, who knows whets next?

You have quite a few thousand of the M1 tank to wear out first, and that should take quite a few years.

Why would the US waste its resources and and money and developing a new MBT when the current one is better than any 3rd army can field. All the MBT's that can match or surpass it are western and don't sell to the axies of evil.

The M-1 will most likely be around for the next 20 years in updated formates. The only reason I can see the need for new one MBT would be if the relationship between China and US degrade to that point of a new cold war.

Where the US should be spending money it is on personal infantry ppotection. Better body protect that doesn't lead to nasty wounds like the current vests due.

The M1A2 Abrams is gonna be around for a long time. It will be upgraded sooner or later. However its time will come when something better comes along and it is placed aside.

However, do not think for one second that the death of Abrams is the end for MBTs. Remember how they said that their would be no more dogfights? What I do see is the MBT being joined by the Mobile Gun System.

This is what it it will look like

Originally Posted by hammerlock

Why would the US waste its resources and and money and developing a new MBT when the current one is better than any 3rd army can field. All the MBT's that can match or surpass it are western and don't sell to the axies of evil.

The M-1 will most likely be around for the next 20 years in updated formates. The only reason I can see the need for new one MBT would be if the relationship between China and US degrade to that point of a new cold war.

Where the US should be spending money it is on personal infantry ppotection. Better body protect that doesn't lead to nasty wounds like the current vests due.

That T-99 is looking like a beast to me.

Originally Posted by Ronin

That T-99 is looking like a beast to me.

Looks are not everything. It is part of the endless web of MBTs in which the T-72 is the core. The turret looks kinda like that on the Merkava. I don't know how good the optics and computer systems are but I highly doubt that they are as good as what we have.

Originally Posted by Easy-8

Looks are not everything. It is part of the endless web of MBTs in which the T-72 is the core. The turret looks kinda like that on the Merkava. I don't know how good the optics and computer systems are but I highly doubt that they are as good as what we have.

By looks, I don't mean literally.

The main armament is a fully-stabilized 125 mm smoothbore gun with an autoloader. Despite the early reports indicating the gun was a licensed copy of the Russian 2A46, it is actually an indigenous design derived from the Chinese 125 mm smoothbore gun. The autoloader, however, is Russian.
Ammunition includes armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot rounds (APFSDS), high explosive anti-tank rounds (HEAT), and high explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) projectiles. China has also reportedly manufactured Russian AT-11 laser guided anti-tank missiles (ATGM) to be fired from the 125 mm gun. In addition, the Chinese have experimentally developed depleted uranium (DU) rounds for their tanks and these may be available to the Type 99.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_99

Thank God for teen-aged tank experts!
I am veteran with 23 years experience and I wouldn't make comments on the M-1 because of my not being familiar with Armor, being a Corps of Engineers officer who went to Advanced Course, Command & General Staff College and various other courses. But like I said here we have teen-aged tank experts!