When people think of modern US military tanks, people’s first thoughts typically settle on the M1 Abrams – a third generation battle tank, which has been the lynchpin of the US cavalry since 1980.

The Abrams is responsible for introducing several novel technologies to US armored forces, including Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, a multifuel turbine engine, NBC protection for crew safety, and separate ammunition storage. Now, however, a mysterious new Abrams variant, known as the AbramsX is in the works, promising to introduce novel and futuristic technology to the US armored forces.

Here's what we know so far.

AbramsX: Updated tech

Last year, a short YouTube clip offered the world a look at the next-generation General Dynamics AbramsX. The video caused a stir. “It’s the biggest upgrade of America’s military tank technology since early in the Cold War,” The Washington Post reported.

The AbramsX will feature modern military technology. Notably, the tank will rely on a hybrid electric diesel engine – making the Abrams X far lighter and far more fuel-efficient than current Abrams tanks. In the spirit of efficiency, the AbramsX will also operate with a smaller crew than current tanks. And, somewhat concerningly, the AbramsX will rely on artificial intelligence systems.

Yet, the Department of Defense is not entirely convinced that the AbramsX is a worthwhile investment. The tank “faces an uphill climb in the halls of the Pentagon, The Washington Post reported. “Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown the promise and peril of tank technology in a modern battlefield.” Meanwhile, “military strategists worry how useful tanks might be in a potential war against China.”

And then there’s the artificial intelligence bit. Not everyone is thrilled with the concept of embedding artificial intelligence within a modern battle tank. We all saw Terminator.

“It’s going o be hard for the tank community to get resources to do a major upgrade,” Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Washington Post.    

Building on a proven, yet flawed, platform

The Abrams has been the United State’s go-to battle tank since 1980, just a few years after the Vietnam War’s conclusion. The Abrams was designed with the US’s then-primary rival, the Soviet Union, in mind. The Soviet’s had a formidable tank fleet – and the geography of Eastern Europe was calibrated toward tank warfare. So, the investment in the M1 Abrams made sense.

The Abrams has, of course, been successful enough to stay in service for nearly half a century. But the tank has gone through several upgrades – many of which were meant to address shortcomings, some of which have been resolved, some of which have not. For example, the Abrams is expensive, fuel-inefficient, and cumbersome on the battlefield. Attempts to solve these problems have led to the AbramsX concept.

“For the past few years, General Dynamics has been trying to solve those problems,” according to The Washington Post. The result: an upgraded Abrams tank that weighs 10 tons less than current models in service. Also, the hybrid electric diesel engine will be 50 percent more fuel-efficient than the current Abrams’s diesel engine (which gets less than one mile to the gallon).

The AbramsX would also feature a slightly different layout than its predecessor. Whereas current Abrams operators sit in the turret, at the top of the tank, the AbramsX will position soldiers within the hull. The hull-positioned soldiers will rely on a crew of three – one fewer than contemporary Abrams crews.

“The [AbramX’s] software is another major upgrade,” The Washington Post reported. “An artificial system on board could be used to spot dangers in the distance…[potentially] the software could alert soldiers that an enemy tank is a few miles away and it has roughly 90 percent confidence it’s a threat. The tank can also communicate with unmanned aerial vehicles, which could scout dangers ahead.”

As such, the AbramsX would be similar to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which emphasizes battlefield awareness and interconnectivity with other assets in the battle space.

General Dynamics is assuring the public that the AbramsX’s artificial intelligence will not be autonomous, however. Tim Reese, a General Dynamics representative, said that the tank’s artificial intelligence would be able to prioritize targets – but not independently kill any of the targets. “In the end, a human operator – the commander of the vehicle – makes a decision whether to engage and with what got it,” Reese said.

The future of the AbramsX

The future of the AbramsX is not entirely clear. Sometimes, technically advanced war machines aren’t all they’re billed to be.

Often, significant technological leaps come with a lot of headaches, which cause the public to question whether the program was worth it in the first place. I’m referring to the F-35, or the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship. Will the AbramsX be the Army’s Littoral Combat Ship?

“The Army should proceed with caution,” Bill Hartung of the Quincy Institute said.  

Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are screenshots/industry handouts.