The US Army is now a rushing to make the new M1-E3 tank because 27 out of 31 M1 Abrams were wrecked in Ukraine. They were mainly destroyed by cheap drones and mines. The new tank will have be lighter and have improved defences against cheap drones. Better armor in the right spots and better systems to defend against drones. The M1E3 Abrams (aka M1-E3) is the U.S. Army’s next-generation main battle tank modernization program, replacing/upgrading the current M1A2 SEPv3 fleet. It is not a completely new tank design but a major evolution of the Abrams line, emphasizing lighter weight, hybrid propulsion, reduced crew, modularity, software-defined architecture, and built-in survivability against modern threats like drones.
The first early prototype / technology demonstrator was completed and delivered to the Army in December 2025. It was publicly unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) in mid-January 2026. The program is moving five years ahead of the original schedule which was initial operational capability ~2030–2032. Four pre-prototypes / test vehicles will be delivered to an Army platoon for hands-on soldier testing this summer (2026).
The Army’s FY2026 budget request includes $723.5 million specifically to build and further develop at least four M1E3 test vehicles and mature the design.
Large scale procurement has been funded but the vulnerability shown means it will happen.
In Ukraine, the U.S. supplied 31 M1A1 Abrams (older variant without some SEPv3 upgrades). As of late 2025/early 2026 reporting, at least 22–27 have been confirmed destroyed or heavily damaged. Cheap drones kill with top-attack shaped-charge strikes on thin roof/side armor or engine decks; mass swarms overwhelmed add-on systems. There are mine with underbelly blasts in prepared fields, often combined with drone spotting.
Drone/Top-Attack Protection (biggest upgrade)
Integrated Active Protection System (APS) are next-gen version evolved from Trophy VPS or Modular APS. They are hard-kill against drones, loitering munitions, ATGMs, RPGs — built into the design from the start. They are lighter and give more coverage than add-on Trophy on current Abrams. Includes dedicated counter-UAS radar, electronic warfare (EW) jammers, and AI-driven soft-kill (decoy, dazzle, signature masking).
Enhanced top/side/roof armor. Integrated composite + reactive elements optimized against drone-dropped munitions (not just kinetic tank rounds).
Reduced thermal/acoustic/EM signatures (hybrid drive + masking tech) → harder for drones to detect and lock on.
Sensor/AI suite: 360° distributed cameras + AI for early drone detection, automatic prioritization, and cueing of countermeasures or counter-drone fire (airburst ammo from coaxial or CROWS remote weapon station).
Mine Protection
Lighter overall weight + improved hybrid drivetrain → better mobility to avoid or cross mine-prone areas faster and reduced ground pressure in some configs.
Some descriptions mention V-hull or underbelly blast-deflection improvements in the modular design.
Modular armor allows quick field swaps or upgrades based on specific mine threats.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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