What armor does the M1 Abrams use?

Chobham
Armor: The composite armor used in the M1 is Chobham (after Chobham, England, where it was developed) or code-named Burlington. It consists of steel armor and spaced ceramic armor tiles. Speed: 45 mph, accelerates from rest to 20 mph in 6 seconds, and carries enough fuel to last almost 300 miles without refueling.

Is the US designing a new tank?

The U.S. Army has wrapped up cold-weather testing of its latest tank. The M-1A2 System Enhancement Package Version 3 tank—or M-1A2SEPv3—works just fine the subarctic temperatures of the Alaskan interior, Army testers concluded. The M-1A2 is the latest version of a tank that first entered U.S. service way back in 1980.

Should the Abrams tank have more passive armor?

The problem with more passive armor is that it also adds significant additional weight to the Abrams, which could limit its mobility. The existing variants of the tank tip the scales at more than 70 tons, making them some of the heaviest main battle tanks in the world.

Why is the US Army adding explosive to M1A2 tanks?

U.S. Army soldiers in Europe are adding extra protection to their M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks in the form of explosive reactive armor. The explosive-filled packages could help the tanks stand up to increasingly advanced tanks and anti-tank munitions, like the ones Russia is developing or has already fielded to its own forces.

Are the Abrams reactive armor tiles a good idea?

Unfortunately, the Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles might not be the best solution for the threats at hand. U.S. Army soldiers in Europe are adding extra protection to their M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks in the form of explosive reactive armor.

Will the M1A2 SEPv3 have passive armor?

The added passive armor would just be the latest in a series of defensive additions to the M1A2 SEPv3 configuration. In March 2017, the Army announced that it would begin installing explosive reactive armor (ERA) packages, known as the Abrams Reactive Armor Tile (ARAT), on tanks in Europe, which will also be a feature on the new variants.