GROUND COMBAT SYSTEMS The Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) serves as the “system of systems integrator” of the ground combat systems for the armed forces and leads Army transformation ef- forts toward future systems while main- taining a current combat-ready force. GCS is a command partner in the Tank-automo- tive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command. The M1A2 Abrams tank PEO encompasses a number of project management offices. For example, the Project Manager for the Heavy Brigade Combat Team (PM HBCT) serves as the life-cycle manager for the major combat vehicles in the Army’s heavy forces, including the Abrams, M88, Bradley, M113, M109 and Knight family of vehicles. Combined, these fleets total 32,682 platforms in various stages of their life cycles under PM HBCT’s management purview, and total program funding through fiscal year (FY) 2013 of approxi- The M1A2 has a digital command-and- handing full spectrum operations. mately $36.8 billion. PM HBCT’s responsi- control system that provides situational The Army must sustain the readiness bilities include the design, development, awareness updates to all the other tanks in and reduce the operations and support production, fielding and sustainment (re- a unit. Vetronics architecture ties all elec- costs of approximately 4,300 older M1A1 set, recap and upgrade) of safe, reliable tronic components in the tank together Abrams main battle tanks in its active and and lethal ground combat systems. Prod- and provides increased survivability and reserve component units. uct Manager Abrams manages approxi- supportability. The commander’s indepen- The Abrams Integrated Management mately 8,325 platforms within the Abrams dent thermal viewer (CITV) gives it a (AIM) Program is the recapitalization pro- family of vehicles, including M1A1, M1A1 hunter-killer capacity, allowing the M1A2 gram for the M1A1 tank. Under AIM, AIM and M1A2 SEP tanks, M88A1/A2 re- to engage one target while simultaneously M1A1 tanks are completely disassembled at covery vehicles and M104 Wolverine As- tracking another. The M1A2 also has im- Anniston Army Depot, Ala. The depot re- sault Bridge. proved onboard diagnostics that allow the furbishes many of the tank’s components. tank to self-diagnose faults without any The assemblies are then shipped to the M1A1, M1A1 AIM and M1A2 SEP additional special tools or equipment. Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) Tanks Further M1A2 improvements, through in Ohio, where General Dynamics Land The M1 Series Abrams Tank provides the SEP, are under way. The M1A2 SEP is Systems reassembles the tanks to a zero the Army with mobile, protected fire- the backbone of the Army’s first digitized time/zero miles standard. power and will remain the cornerstone of division and the counterattack corps of the The AIM program has fielded tanks to the Army’s counterattack and containment Army’s current force. It is the only weapon units at Fort Hood, Texas, and in Germany. forces as the Army transforms to the Fu- system that can withstand the impact of Annual production now stands at 135 ture Force. The Abrams tank provides sol- high-energy warheads and remain lethal tanks per year and will continue until diers with the lethality, survivability and in full spectrum operations. It has inte- 2012. staying power to successfully close with grated combat command and control (IC3), In addition, AIM serves as the venue to and destroy enemy forces on the inte- which incorporates Force XXI Battle Com- apply modifications and upgrades to the grated battlefield. The 120 mm main gun mand Brigade and Below (FBCB2) to pro- tank, including embedded diagnostics. AIM on the M1A1 and M1A2, combined with vide real-time command and control and also serves as a means to combat electronic the powerful 1,500-hp turbine engine and situational awareness. obsolescence by introducing improved line- special armor, make the Abrams tank par- Its sights use the latest thermal-imaging replaceable units for those that face techni- ticularly suitable for attacking or defend- system (second-generation forward-look- cal obsolescence. The AIM process also ing against large concentrations of heavy ing infrared [FLIR]) for increased lethality incorporates redesigned hull and turret armor forces on a highly lethal battlefield and survivability. The M1A2 SEP tank network boxes. and for other roles that require shock effect takes advantage of computer/electronic The M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recov- and mobile direct firepower to support industry advances by including improved ery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation Army mission requirements. electronics developed since the introduc- System (HERCULES) is a full-tracked, Two major programs maintain and re- tion of the M1A2. heavy armored vehicle developed to ac- capitalize the Abrams fleet: the M1A2 sys- The SEP package includes a new com- complish safe, effective and independent tems enhancement program (SEP) and the puterized mass-memory unit and color battlefield recovery operations. M1A1 Abrams integrated management maps and displays. A thermal manage- It implements swift and effective com- (AIM) program. ment system increases electronic reliability bat evacuations through the battlefield re- The M1A2 program provides the Abrams and decreases crew fatigue. covery operations of towing, winching with advanced improvements in lethality, Production deliveries of the M1A2 SEP and lifting. The Hercules uses the M88A1 survivability and fighting ability required to tank began in September 1999. These vehi- chassis modified to significantly improve defeat future threats. It is the Army’s first cles were used extensively during OIF, in towing, winching, lifting and braking digitized, direct-fire combat vehicle. which they were proven to be capable of characteristics. October 2010 I ARMY 343 Bradley M2A3 It is the primary recovery support for the 70-ton M1 Abrams tank, the Wolverine and other heavy combat vehicles. The M88A2 includes a 1,050-hp engine; a 35-ton boom; overlay armor; a 140,000- pound, single-line, constant-pull main winch; and a 3-ton auxiliary winch for de- ploying the main winch cable. When com- pared to the M88A1, these upgrades im- prove towing power by 25 percent, lifting capability by 40 percent and winching ability by 55 percent. The system is in full-rate production and deployment. Fielding began in July 1997, and it achieved first unit equipped in and to suppress and defeat enemy tanks, re- The Bradley Operation Desert Storm- July 1997. connaissance vehicles, infantry fighting ve- Situational Awareness (ODS-SA) M2/M3 The M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault hicles (IFVs), armored personnel carriers, A2 conversion implements a digital archi- Bridge (HAB) is an M1A2 Abrams SEP bunkers, dismounted infantry and attack tecture and will benefit the fleet by mitigat- variant and is operated by a two-man helicopters. The infantry version (M2) of the ing obsolescence and providing commonal- crew. The 26-meter bridge can span gaps A3 Bradley fighting vehicle is used most of- ity. The M2/M3 A2 ODS-SA system consists of up to 24 meters to support heavy ma- ten to close with the enemy by means of fire of a modified BFVS A2 ODS turret and chas- neuver operations at 16 kph. and maneuver. The primary tasks per- sis. The two-man turret consists of a The bridge is computer-controlled and formed by the cavalry version (M3) as part gun/turret stabilization system, a 25 mm automatically compensates for minor devi- of a troop and/or squadron are reconnais- gun, a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, am- ations in launch-site elevation and terrain sance, security and flank guard missions. munition feed/storage systems, a dual-tube rack and cant. The crew can launch the The A3 is the consummate digitized TOW missile launcher with a launcher erec- bridge under armor in five minutes and re- platform, with a core electronics architec- tion mechanism/drive and a TOW launcher trieve it in less than 10 minutes. ture on a 1553 data bus and an improved elevation drive, gunner’s and commander’s The M104 Wolverine enables decisive target acquisition system that includes a stations, gunner’s and commander’s sight maneuver by allowing units to span tank full ballistic fire-control package with systems, and a turret processor with associ- ditches, road craters and partially dam- hunter-killer functionality via a comman- ated subsystems and sensors. The chassis aged bridge sections up to 24 meters wide der’s independent viewer (CIV). Optical contains the power train, suspension sys- at combat speeds. improvements also include two second- tem, the driver’s station and the squad com- generation FLIRs and day television cam- partment. The A2 ODS SA electronics archi- Product Manager Bradley eras, which can be displayed to the squad tecture is based on a dual redundant Product Manager Bradley manages ap- members in the back of the vehicle via the MIL-STD-1553B serial data bus. All major proximately 6,452 M2/3A2, M2/3A2 ODS rear-mounted squad leader’s display. This turret system units are linked through this and M2/3A3 Bradleys, approximately feature significantly improves the real- bus for signal and data transfer. Sight im- 13,943 M113 series platforms, as well as time situational awareness for the entire agery and graphics data are routed as RS- the M7/A3 Bradley fire-support team dismounted or mounted crew. 170 video signals to the operators. (BFIST) vehicles and the M707/M1200 The A3 integrated combat command- The A2 ODS SA system has the Improved Knight family of vehicles. and-control (IC3) package incorporates the Bradley Acquisition Subsystem (IBAS) for The Bradley M2A3 Infantry/M3A3 Army’s digital command-and-control suite the gunner that replaces the Bradley Eyesafe Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (IFV/CFV) facil- of automated messages, overlays and Laser Rangefinder (BELRF) integrated sight itates enhanced command-and-control ca- friend-or-foe graphics that meet the unit (ISU) in the A2 ODS.