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M1A2 Main Battle Tank, "General Abrams",

Part 1

Picture 1:
With the addition of newer
generation equipment, the US
M1A2 Abrams has evolved well
beyond the earlier M1A1 main
battle tank. The majority of these
improvements allow the crew a
clearer picture of the battlefield,
improves their ability to quickly
kill targets, and provides enhanced
vehicular components for
maintaining the Abrams in combat.
This Part 1 of our exploration of
the interior of the M1A2 will
feature some of the upgraded
components and new gear. In Part
2 we will take a brief look inside
one of the earlier M1A2 vehicles
and determine how the equipment
is integrated and operated by the
four-man crew. Many of the
photographs that you will see in the
web pages were provided to AFV

INTERIORS courtesy of

General Dynamics Land Systems

, the primary contractor for the vehicle.

Picture 2:
This is another General Dynamics photograph, this time illustrating the forward turret interior. The image includes a good
view of the 120mm M256 cannon breech, directly in the center of the promotional photo. First, let's identify the location of

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the new components located up here in the turret, and then we will examine each component in more detail. The vertical
white cylindrical object hanging down from the left side of the forward turret roof, with a black grid pattern at the bottom
end, is the base of the new Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV). His display viewer for the CITV, looking a
bit like a small television screen, is over on the right side of the turret. Returning to the left side of the turret again, and
below the base of the CITV, is the SINCGARS set (Single Channel Ground/Air Radio System). Here it is seen as a two-
piece, stacked, black box arrangement with many switches and one large plug on each box.

To the right of the SINCGARS equipment is the black semi-automatic breech of the 120mm smooth bore Rheinmetall main
gun. The 120mm gun fires the M865 TPCSDS-T and M831 TP-T training rounds, the M8300 HEAT-MP-T, and the M829
APFSDS-T which includes a depleted uranium penetrator. The shell casings for these rounds are self consuming when fired.
Normally there would be a deflector shield behind the breech to direct the base stub that is left after firing down to the floor,
but it has been removed for this photo. Further to the right, and a bit further forward in the turret, is the gunner's station. The
Gunner's Primary Sight (GPS) is the smaller sight that has switch boxes both below it and to its right, and also uses a brow
pad directly above. The gunner's turret/gun joystick control (black) is below and to the left of the GPS. Above and a bit
closer to us we can see the two screens of the Commander's Integrated Display and gun sight, with the CITV display and
associated controls on the left, and the Command and Control Display (CCD) on the right.

Notice that both the coax machine gun and the gunner's sighting telescope are mounted on the right side of the 120mm gun,
right next to the gunner. Ammunition feed for the coax MG loops over the gun barrel from the tall vertical ammo bin on the
left to the weapon that you can just barely see mounted on the right. Notice the lack of any recoil guard behind the 120mm
gun. As I mentioned earlier, the small deflector behind the breech is missing-- we will see it in a later photograph.

Picture 3:
The Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV)
is one of the major improvements in the M1A2 system.
The CITV provides the tank commander with
independent target acquisition and battlefield
surveillance capability in all visibility conditions.
Manufactured by Texas Instruments, the CITV has
independently stabilised day and night vision with a 360-
degree view, automatic sector scanning, automatic target
cueing of the gunner's sight (with no need for verbal
communication), and back-up fire control. The system
consists of a gyrostabilised head at the left front corner
of the turret roof housing the sensors (seen here on the
left), and commander's control grip with a panel/
electronics unit for selecting parameter settings. All this
is hooked up to a remote cathode ray tube display at the
commander's position that we will see later. The range of
the viewer is -12 to +20 degrees in elevation and 360
degrees in azimuth. The magnification is 2.6X at 10.4
degrees wide field of view and 7.7X at 3.4 degrees

narrow field of view, and the screen image intensity can be controlled for both bright and dark light conditions.

Picture 4:
This is the gunner's station sight and control electronics,
comprised mainly of the Gunner's Primary Sight (GPS). This
equipment is found at the forward right corner of the turret roof
and hangs down in front of the gunner's seat. The Gunner's
Primary Sight-Line of Sight, GPS-LOS, has been developed by
the Electro-Optical Systems Division of Hughes Aircraft
Company. You may recall that the M1 and M1A1 Abrams tank
have a GPS-LOS with a single axis stabilised head mirror. The
system has daylight optics with 10X magnification narrow field

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of view, and 3X magnification wide field of view, and includes a
unity magnification close-in surveillance with 18 degrees field of
view.

The night vision Thermal Imaging System (TIS) from Hughes has
magnification of 10X narrow field of view and 3X magnification
wide field of view. The TIS creates an image based on the
differences of heat radiated by objects within the field of view.
The thermal image is displayed in the eyepiece of the gunner's
sight, together with the range measurement from the Hughes laser
range finder. The M1A2 Abrams tank has a two-axis stabilized
GPS-LOS, which provides faster target acquisition and improved

gun pointing. The azimuth inertial stabilisation allows target detection, recognition, and acquisition at longer ranges than the
single axis system. The Line of Sight excursion range is -16 to +22 degrees in elevation and + or - 5 degrees in azimuth.
The stabilization accuracy is less than 100 microrads, and the boresight retention is less than 100 microrads. Although it is
not shown here, The gunner also has a Kollmorgen Model 939 auxiliary sight with magnification x8 and field of view 8
degrees. You can see it clearly in Picture 2, to the left of the TIS ocular. We will identify the most important controls on the
sight later in Part 2.

Last, but not least, a new GEC Avionics/Kollsman eye-safe CO2 rangefinder in the M1A2 replaces the Nd:YAG laser
rangefinder found in the earlier tanks. This was because the wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser used in the M1/M1A1 was
1.06 microns, which could be damaging to the eye. The new rangefinder, the new CO2 rangefinder has been developed by
Hughes for the Abrams tank and it incorporates a Raman resonator, which shifts the wavelength from 1.06 to 1.54 microns
which is not damaging to the human eye. The new Hughes laser rangefinder has a firing rate of approximately one shot per
second and provides range accuracy to within 10m with target discrimination of 20m.

Picture 5:
This is the commander's
grouping of equipment called
the Commander's Integrated
Display, or CID (the
commander's gun sight would
be to the left of this unit). The
CID includes the
Commander's Integrated
Thermal Viewer (CITV)
display and associated controls
on the left and the Command
and Control Display (CCD) on
the right, again with its
controls to the far right. The
CITV on the left is the cathode
ray tube display from the
thermal viewer we mentioned
earlier, mounted on the turret

roof. It is data linked to the Commander's Integrated Display and the gunner's primary gun sight via the fire control
electronics unit. The CITV allows the commander to find and mark a second target while the gunner is firing on the first.
The CITV also provides a reported 45% quicker target acquisition time than the M1A1 and 51% more target engagements,
due to the commander being able to scan for new targets while the gunner takes care of currently identified threats.

The CCD on the right is one of the most interesting digitizing features in the new wave of modern battle tank electronics.
Through the magic of computers and communications interfaces, this display is capable of showing the commander his
current location in relation to other known vehicles in the area, both friendly and enemy. He can place and receive orders
and fire requests, as well as navigate, by knowing with precision his exact location and direction of travel (GPS systems).
This is all because the display is hooked up to the main communications antenna IVIS, the crew system data bus, and the

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position/navigation sensor (POS/NAV).

Picture 6:
One of the major new black boxes (actually,
most of these have white cases) that we have
not seen yet is the new Driver's Integrated
Display (DID). This unit does away with most
of the previous dials and gauges of the old
driver's instrument panel, allowing the operator
to view most of the automotive system's
performance levels with the push of a button.
The panel is located to the left of the driver and
provides digital indicators for the vehicle's fluid
levels, batteries, electrical equipment, and other
mechanical and drive train essentials.

Other features of the new driver's station
include a Driver's Thermal Viewer, AN/VAS-3,
developed by the Electro-Optical Systems
Division of the Hughes Aircraft Company. The

AN/VAS-3 is based on a 60 element cadmium mercury telluride (CdHgTe) detector operating in the wavelength band 7.5 to
12 microns. The cooling is provided by a Split Stirling 0.25 watt engine (thermal viewers get very hot). The field of view is
40 degrees azimuth x 20 degrees elevation, and the field of regard is given as 100 degrees in azimuth and 40 degrees in
elevation. The inclusion of the driver's 2nd generation technology thermal viewer matches the operational abilities of both
the commander's and gunner's thermal viewers, so they all operate at the same level of night viewing efficiency while
buttoned up inside the tank.

Picture 7:
This is a General Dynamics cut-away sectional drawing of the early M1A2. The tank is fairly typical in general layout of
most modern, non-autoloading MBTs in action today; with the driver sitting out in front and a three man crew back in the
turret. You can get a feel for the general thickness of the composite depleted uranium armor by the thickness of the plate in
front of the semi-reclining driver. When inside the vehicle I was surprised by how small the interior of the turret was (even
though it is comparatively roomy when you have been in other modern MBTs). When you are outside looking at the turret it
looks huge. Of course, this is due to the thickness of the front and side turret armor as well as the ammo bin in the rear
bustle.

Back inside the turret again, the gunner sits forward and to the right of the gun in the traditional American style. The

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commander is seated directly behind him, and the loader (not shown in this drawing) operates freely on the left side of the
gun. All turret main ammunition is stored in a separate bin in the turret bustle with special blow-out panels mounted on the
turret roof, and also in a small bin on the other side of the firewall low down in the hull, behind the commander's seat. To
access the main bin in the turret bustle, the loader pushes a knee switch that electrically opens the internal blast doors. He
should do this each time he retrieves a round for the cannon so that most of the time in action the doors are kept closed. To
finish with this particular sketch, the drawing includes the unique Abrams powerplant at the rear, which is still a 1500 hp
gas turbine engine that allows a 21.6 hp/ton power to weight ratio.

Picture 8:
Another drawing from General Dynamics provides us with a 3D general view of the major components inside of the tank.
Visible are the gunner and commander's seats, and the loader's seat, which is folded on the left side of the turret. The turret
bustle blowout panels are visible on the rear turret roof, and up forward on the roof is the Gunner's Primary Sight box. At
the rear of the tank is the gas turbine engine with its associated air intakes, filters, batteries, and exhausts. Although often
debated, the turbine engine does allow some interesting advantages over a similarly powerful diesel. For instance, it will run
on any hydrocarbon fuel including gasoline, aviation gas, diesel, or alcohol fuel, although the preferred fuel in the US Army
is high quality diesel. The turbine engine is 2,000lbs (900kg) lighter than a comparable diesel (allowing more armor) and
has 30% fewer parts (less maintenance). The turbine will start at -25 degrees F (-31 degrees C) and is much quieter than a
diesel, actually quieter than the tank's track noise, and produces a very small smoke signature.

The flip side to the argument is that fuel consumption is very high in the turbine; this is a very thirsty engine. There have
been a number of studies over the years involved with potentially replacing the turbine with a diesel, but these have

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generally proved that the turbine continues the best choice for the Abrams. Recently, an upgraded turbine has been tested
with a transverse mounting in the engine compartment that provides additional space in the engine compartment. This
configuration is potentially beneficial, as the newly acquired space can be filled with an under-armor auxiliary power unit
(APU) and/or additional ammo storage. Up to this point, the Abram's APU was mounted either on the right-rear hull of the
tank (early versions), or up in the turret bustle. Of course, the use of an APU allows tanks to perform electrical and
hydraulic functions which require power without the main turbine engine running. These functions include not only
providing electricity to operate radios, night vision equipment, computers, and fans, but also hydraulic power to rotate the
turret as well as a pneumatic source to provide pressurized air in nuclear, biological and chemical warfare environments.

Picture 9:
Our final general orientation illustration comes again from a General Dynamics Land Systems publicity packet and it
identifies the location of many of the changes in the earlier M1A2 vehicles. Some of the new items identified here include
the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer, the Improved Commander's Weapon Station, new position navigation
equipment, an improved data and electrical power system, an embedded diagnostic system for ease of maintenance, and an
improved fire control system. Recall that there is additional equipment in the M1A2 like the radio interface unit
(CINCGARS and the Commander's Integrated Display) that allows rapid transfer of digital situational data and overlays to
compatible systems anywhere on the battlefield. The NBC filtration system has also been improved in the A2, and is seen
here mounted on the left track sponson next to the turret ring, where it was also in the A1.

There have been other improvements inside some of the most recently manufactured M1A2 vehicles. These were
introduced as the Systems Enhancement Package (SEP), and they include an improved Raytheon Commander's Independent
Thermal Viewer (CITV) with second generation thermal imager, commander's display for digital color terrain maps, second
generation thermal imaging gunner's sight with increased range, and driver's integrated display and thermal management
system. The US Army currently has plans to procure around 1150 M1A2 SEP tanks and they are to be in service by 2004.
This concludes Part 1. Now that we are generally familiar with some of the new equipment, in Part 2 we will slide down
into an A2 and take a more detailed look at what it all means to the crew and potential targets downrange.

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M1A2 Main Battle Tank, "General

Abrams", Part 2

Picture 1:
This is Part
2 of a two-
part
exploration
of the
interior of
the US
primary
MBT, the
M1A2
General
Abrams. In
this page
we will
look into a
M1A2 as it
was
configured
back in
1995 when
this

particular vehicle was located at the Rock Island Arsenal and used as a test bed for new equipment.
Sitting on top of the turret we have this view of the crew hatches-- the gun tube is pointed away to the
upper left. One of the main improvements provided on the later M1A1s and all the A2s is the Improved
Commander's Weapon Station (ICWS). The earlier Abrams had a rather complicated electrically powered
commander's revolving cupola. It provided the commander with the ability to sight, aim, and fire the
attached .50cal Browning MG while he was safely under armor cover. The new ICWS does away with
the powered cupola rotation (its now manual), increased the diameter of the hatch opening (it was tough
to haul your body up out of the vehicle in an emergency with the smaller hatch opening), and added a
couple of large vision blocks for an uninterrupted panoramic view outside. The new ICWS setup does
require the commander to open his hatch in order to manually fire his MG, but this doesn't seem to be the
major problem the early designers thought it would be. You can clearly see the commander's larger
access hatch, the increased number of larger vision blocks (eight), and the Browning .50cal machine gun
that is mounted on the forward side of the cupola on a simple flexible mount.

Other items of note that are seen in the photo include the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer
(CITV) at the upper left, and the loader's MG mount and skate ring around his hatch for a 7.62mm
(.30cal) MG. The mount for the M240 MG is fairly large and it includes not only the ammo feed tray
mounted on the left, but also a large built-in catch container underneath for spent shells, and double spade
grip handles. Notice also the simple locking handle on the loader's hatch and the blanked opening for a

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periscope. Although the hatch does not rotate, the periscope mount does, and the loader has a fairly good
view from his position when closed down.

Picture 2:
Looking
down into the
turret from
the loader's
hatch we see
some of his
station. One
of the two
sliding blast
doors to the
turret bustle
ammo bins is
to the upper
left in the
photo (that's
the rear of
the turret),
and the knee
switch is
attached to
the turret ring

directly below the panel. The switch is actually a fairly good-sized rectangular piece of aluminum that is
folded up in the stowed position in this photo. The blast door to the left is powered and slides open very
quickly to the left side to expose the bustle ammo storage when the knee switch is pressed. Also attached
to the turret lip just to the left of the kneed switch is the turret lock, here seen in the locked position.

The stowage on the rear portion of the left turret wall has changed from the earlier M1A1 configuration,
and some of those changes are visible here at the upper right. Most of the support radio equipment is now
mounted on this wall, and the green radio/intercom connection box for the loader is also clearly visible.
Down on the turret lip again you can see the support bracket for the loader's seat, on the right side of the
knee switch. The loader's seat may be rotated and locked facing forward, or at an angle facing toward the
rear like this, allowing easier access to the gun and ammo from the bustle storage bin. All loaders have a
personal preference for stowing each type of round in the rear turret bin. Recall that there is also a small
ammo storage bin in the lower hull, down behind the commander's station. The turret bustle racks are
now serviced from revised blow out panels on the roof, and a new ammo pack for each side of the bin can
be dropped into place very quickly via a crane, greatly decreasing the reload time.

Picture 3:
This is the
view looking
down at the

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loader's
position from
the
commander's
hatch. Now
the loader's
seat is more
in view, and
so is the
backrest. The
seat is
adjustable in
height and
there is also a
helmet pad to
brace your
head before

the gun is fired. It is the black S-shaped pad under the gun safety switch box. The breech of the gun is the
dark shape to the far right, and various storage bins can be seen on the floor under the loader's seat and
along the turret wall. The under-seat bin contains a Chemical/Biological/Radiation contamination mask
and suit for the loader, a spare breech lever, a decontamination spray bottle, and 7.62mm ammo for his
MG up on the turret roof.

The safety switch for the 120mm gun is located in a switch box just visible to the upper right in the
photo. Just behind the seat back rest is a vertical feed bin, with holes for viewing the amount of rounds
remaining, for coaxial MG ammunition. As I mentioned earlier, the primary ammunition for the 120mm
gun includes both M8300 HEAT-MP-T and M829 APFSDS-T-- the M829 includes a depleted uranium
penetrator. It is said that depleted uranium has a density roughly two and a half times that of steel, and
depleted uranium is now commonly used in for most AP types, particularly in the Bradley and the
Abrams.

Picture 4:
Now we are
looking
directly down
from the
commander's
open hatch to
his seat and
station area.
The second
bustle ammo
storage
access door
is behind his
seat, and in
this photo a

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nylon cover
with storage
pockets for
crew
equipment

hangs over the door. This hanging storage curtain has Velcro fasteners along the top edge and it can
quickly be removed when necessary for access to the ammo bin. I have not found any crew members that
use the storage curtain.

The commander's radio connection box (green) is attached to the turret wall directly in front of his NBC
hose, which can be seen leading back to the rear corner where it attaches to a fitting. The NBC protective
face mask and suit system is used only when the 200 SCFM clean conditioned air system (over-pressure
air cleaning system) is not working. There is also a Radiac Radiological Warning Device, known as an
AN/VDR-1, and a chemical agent detector included on board the M1A2. Visible at the upper left of the
hatch opening is part of the CID unit we explored earlier and a black pad is available to support the
commander's arm as he uses his turret/gun control grip, also just visible under the CID. The primary
interior color throughout the tank is gloss white, with most of the darker objects in these photos black, or
occasionally green.

Picture 5:
Here is the
view looking
down this
time from the
loader's hatch
toward the
commander's
station, and
now the
gunner's seat
is visible in
front of the
commander's.
There is a
large bin on
our side of
the
commander's
seat, which
normally

supplies .50cal ammo storage for his roof mounted Browning M2 MG. The new commander's weapon
station mounts the MG on a powered rotary platform and the sight for the gun is around 3X. Once again,
the tear-away nylon stowage curtain in front of the right sliding blast door is visible. A large protective
sheet metal wire conduit passes up from the floor to the turret ring in front and to the right of the
commander's seat, and above its upper end is the black arm rest we saw before.

We have a better view of the commander's gun control grip, which here is capped with red thumb

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switches. The tank commander normally sits up higher than the gunner; his seat and foot support are
elevated 9 inches above the rest of the turret floor and can be raised higher when required. The floor itself
is very cluttered in this vehicle and is not easily traveled. And although the Abrams is spacious compared
to most other current MBTs, the turret interior is compartmentalized into well defined work stations and
traveling from one to another is not always easy. There is enough room, however, to stand in the turret of
the vehicle and stretch a bit, a factor that reduces user fatigue considerably and is unheard of in most
other MBTs. Compared to the older M60, the interior of the Abrams is also much quieter... actually, the
noise from the APU and tracks are louder than the quiet tank engine just behind the firewall.

Picture 6:
Now we have slipped through the loader's
hatch down into his seat and the
commander's position is viewed on the
right side of the turret. Above his height
adjustable seat is the commander's new
hatch and cupola setup. View through the
six vision blocks is excellent in all
directions, and the hatch in the M1A2 has
been redesigned for better overhead
protection when partially opened.
Although the vision blocks are slightly
blue in cast, there are anti-radiation
coatings on the outside surface that makes
them appear various shades of red or
purple. The CID is again in view here, as
well as the commander's gun control grip
and radio com box on the turret wall. Just
forward of the com box is one of the
newer style turret interior light with a
blue lens at the bottom. These lights have
replaced the traditional US square box
configuration that had both red and white
lenses in all US AFVs. The .50cal ammo
storage box is again visible next to the
commander's seat.

Magnification of the CID is 2.6X at 3.4
degrees (narrow field of view), and 7.7X
at 10.4 degrees (wide field of view). The
gun control grip also operates the

direction of the CID sensor head (CIV), which as I mentioned earlier is stabilised in both directions. The
digitized electronics in the CID allow the commander instant access to a great deal of information, but
also increases his workload and can quickly overload him with information. Switching from the M1A1 to
the A2 currently takes months of training, particularly for tank commanders, and it has not always been
an easy transition for them. Simulators help TCs become accustomed to the new front office and the
evolving digitized battlefield, and the situation will probably only get worse as newer electronics are

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included at the commander's station over time.

I suspect the stencil you see on the wall that reads "CARC 10/94" refers to the date the vehicle was last
painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC) paint. CARC makes up the largest category of
paints applied to US military equipment. It was formulated to better conceal and protect large pieces of
hardware, improving the survivability of the equipment in a number of ways. Items routinely painted
with CARC include tracked and wheeled vehicles, artillery pieces and missile launchers, rotary and fixed-
wing aircraft, and support equipment such as communications vans, water purification units, generators,
and forklifts. According to DOD sources, the US Army developed the first CARC in 1974 and after
testing made the decision in 1983 to require all combat, combat support, tactical wheeled vehicles,
aircraft, and essential ground support equipment (i.e., tactical equipment) to be painted with the new
compound.

CARC is essentially a low gloss version of automotive-grade polyurethane paint and the coatings provide
the standard characteristics of any protective finish-- corrosion resistance, durability, and identification
marking. However, CARC formulations provide some unique properties that distinguish them from
typical commercially-available paints. Chemical agent resistant coatings all have a very matte finish, or
extremely low gloss, to minimize visual detection due to glare or reflection from the sun or other bright
light sources. They also allow easy cleaning of the surfaces after an NBC incident, easily releasing
contaminating chemicals and resisting the action of these same chemicals. Anyway, CARC is used on the
exterior of this M1A2 vehicle while the interior is painted with slightly different formulations, the
principal difference being the interior paint's high gloss surface for improved light reflection in low light
conditions.

Picture 7:
Here a great
view of the
digitized
CID,
complete
with slaved
sight on the
far left of the
unit. Notice
that the sight
is missing its
head/face
padding that
would be
attached
above the
monocular.
Beginning at
the upper
right corner

of the unit, you see a small numeric keypad and directly below a small panel door for access to the master
turret power switches. Below that small door is another small control panel with switches for Alarm

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Mute, Temperature, Battle Sight, etc., and just below this panel is a second small panel door for access to
controls for the exterior turret smoke dischargers. As we mentioned previously, the large video screen on
the right is the CCD which transmits command orders, map contours and grid positions, fire requests and
position locations. Each of these can be requested and controlled by the large push buttons you see below
the screen.

To the left of the CCD is the CITV screen, the active sighting screen for the commander, allowing him to
acquire targets through his thermal viewer in the turret roof, with sighting in any direction, independent
of the gunner. However, the sighting ring you see to the far left is slaved to the gunners primary gun
sight, and allows the commander to view the same sight picture as the gunner. This sight also allows the
commander to take over full control the main gun and lay/fire the weapon if it becomes necessary.
Visible again below the CID is the commander's gun control grip, and in the shadows nearby are the
gunner's controls and display panels that we will examine next.

Picture 8:
Here we see the view looking across to
the gunner's position. The commander's
CID dominates the upper third of the
photo, and the 120mm gun breech is to
our immediate left. The gunner's Control
and Display Panel is at the middle right in
the photo, and mounted to the turret ring
below it is a folded (stowed) chest
support. The support swings out and locks
into position to provide the gunner with
some body support during gun laying,
which can be critical if you are targeting
while the vehicle is moving.

The gunner's direct primary sight is
located in the center of the control box,
directly in front of his position, and it has
a black brow pad directly above the ocular
ring. The switches and dials above the
sight control panel lights and fire control
modes, while the small panel to the right
has a large switch for the thermal
receiving unit. Just below the primary
sight is another small panel containing
mode switches with controls for Ammo
Type, Focus, Day/Night Viewing and
Trigger Safety. The laser range finder
controls are to the left of the primary sight
ocular ring and they include a small red
sign warning about potential for laser

light eye damage. Farther to the left is the direct sight telescope, partially hidden, which is still used as a
backup sight in case the primary roof mounted unit is damaged. Most US tank gunners wouldn't think of

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going into battle with only one sight in their tanks, a practice that started in WWII and that many other
countries have followed over the years. The price of the redundancy of the systems is more than
compensated by the ability to still fight and defend yourself should your primary sight be damaged or
knocked out of action.

Picture 9:
A slightly different perspective of the gunner's station now allows us to see his Cadillacs, his two gun
control handles, which were obscured by the main gun's breech handle in the last picture. The control
handles are commonly called Cadillacs because in earlier years the control system was manufactured by
Cadillac Motors, and their brand name was proudly displayed on the unit. The handles control the
powered turret traverse and elevation/depression of the main gun, as well as provide thumb and finger
firing buttons for both the 120mm gun and coax MG.

Although they are a bit harder to see, the manual hand cranks for traverse and elevation are also visible
here. The traverse hand crank is to the right of the Cadillacs, while the elevation crank is attached below
the Cadillacs, the hand crank mounted on the left side of the gear case. The red handle above the gunner's
grips is the backup firing mechanism for the gun should the electrical system malfunction. You can also
see the telescopic sight ocular ring and forehead pad better here, located above the red handle. Under the
folded chest brace are the storage tube for a flashlight and the hook for a water canteen.

Most of the gun controls on the panel under the primary sight ocular are visible in the photo. The two
black knobs are mode controls, one Normal and the other Drift. The five square, black push buttons
below the knobs are for ammunition selection (determining the amount of superelevation the computer
should add for the different flight characteristics of each type of projectile), and the small black lever

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under the buttons controls the sight magnification.

Picture
10:
My
final
photograph
illustrates
the
driver's
improved
station
in the
M1A2
vehicle.
The seat
bottom
is at the
lower
edge of
the
picture
with
brake

and accelerator pedals seen further forward. The steering T bar has black rubber handles and is a bit
difficult to see, but it is forward, just under the open hatch. To the right of the T bar is a long black
vertical handle that is the parking brake release. The night periscope is normally contained in the canvas
bag on its own shelf further over to our right, and it can replace the middle periscope of the three
mounted in the over-head hatch (which has been opened and rotated out of view). To our right is a red
handle for the drain plugs in the floor and to the left of the seat is a black seat adjustment lever. The seat
slides down into the reclined position when the driver is operating with his hatch closed, and slides up for
driving when it is safe to have his head out of the hatch. Mounted on the left is the new Driver's
Integrated Display (DID) that we saw earlier in Part 1-- in this case it is painted a neutral gray color and
the panels are blank because the power is turned off.

The seat is lightly padded with a black ribbed leather-like covering while the rest of the interior is painted
the same gloss white of the fighting compartment. The seat is very comfortable, providing excellent back
support and adjustments in a lot of directions. After a long day, it can be hard not to fall asleep in the
semi-reclining position. But I found the DID was mounted in an awkward position for me, requiring
continual heard turning to view the panels while driving the tank. I suspect if you drove this thing for a
living, you would probably not be as anxious as I was and need to be looking at it every few seconds.
Relocating the panel in front of the driver is out of the question because there is no room. Although it is
not visible in our photo, the control handle for opening the driver's hatch is off to our right. It is easily
reached from any seat position, and opening and closing the hatch takes very little effort. When you drive
with the hatch open, the gun mantlet over-head makes a nice rain shield, but hitting any water obstruction
at speed causes a tidal wave to run up the hull right at your face.

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There are a number of stories told by A2 tankers about some odd problems with the early machines, some
of them humorous and some not. Early A2 vehicles were plagued with problems involving the
complicated electronics and interfaces that had been added, the problems including uncommanded tube
and turret movement, and inadvertent .50 caliber machine gun firing, both potentially very dangerous
situations. There were also a number of unprotected hot surfaces, which caused skin burns that could
easily have been covered. A lot of work went into correcting these areas, and recent DOD Operation Test
and Evaluation reports seem to indicate that these early problems have been solved during the SEP
improvement program, which was added to the Abrams A2 program recently. SEP improvements
included a new CID setup with the display panels arranged vertically, the revised layout mirroring the
new embedded battle command that allows soldiers to communicate with each other within and across
echelons to relay and share information. This ability is said to increase command and control as well as
situational awareness on the battlefield. There is also a second-generation forward-looking infrared sight,
with five different powers of magnification that displays the environment outside of the tank on the
commander's independent thermal viewer. The air conditioning system has been upgraded to handle
cooling better than previous M1A2 systems. The first unit to field the M1A2 SEP was the 4th Infantry
Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and the second was the 1st Cavalry Division, receiving their tanks
beginning July of 2001.

My grateful thanks go to Glen Broman and Public Affairs Officer Ms. Vicki Stapes at the Rock Island
Arsenal for their support and assistance with this project. The

Rock Island Arsenal web page

provides a

considerable amount of information about the arsenal and its using agencies and is well worth a visit. As
I mentioned, this particular M1A2 was a test bed for improvement experiments, and at the time I took
these photographs an independent crew NBC air cleaner system was under scrutiny. Without Glen's
professional assistance and enthusiastic help in allowing me access to this and other vehicles at Rock
Island this page would not have been possible.

TO M1A2 ABRAMS PART 1

BACK TO AFV INTERIORS HOME PAGE

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