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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Army will begin testing its new M1E3 Abrams prototypes with select units this summer and into early fall, with the service’s acquisition chief aiming to then begin production about a year later.
The Army’s top acquisition official said Tuesday the service will begin the first M1E3 Abrams prototypes with select units this summer into early fall, adding his aim is to then begin production a year later.
Army acquisition executive Brent Ingraham told reporters his goal is “to get to production as fast possible” on the M1E3 Abrams, while noting the eventual timeline is “going to depend on how well they perform.”
“But the idea would be [to start] production hopefully within the next 12 months or so…from when the testing concludes,” Ingraham said during a briefing at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium here.
In September 2023, the Army detailed plans to pivot away from its M1A2 SEPv4 upgrade effort for its current General Dynamics [GD] Land Systems-built tanks and instead focus on developing a new M1E3 Abrams with capability improvements required for future fights (Defense Daily, Sept. 7, 2023).
GD Land Systems has been on contract to support preliminary requirements analysis and systems engineering work for the M1E3 Abrams, and in late June the Army awarded the company a $150 million deal with research and development funds to support continued engineering work.
Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, said last October the team working alongside GD Land Systems to build M1E3 Abrams includes Caterpillar [CAT] providing the engine, a SAPA-built transmission, and Anduril Industries and Applied Intuition developing the autonomy capability, and the Army has since noted that engineering partner Roush contributed to the prototype build (Defense Daily, Oct. 14).
George in December confirmed the Army had received the first M1E3 Abrams from GD, with plans to receive three more systems in 2026, and the service officially debuted the platform at the Detroit Auto Show in January (Defense Daily, Dec. 12, 2025).
“Everybody said [it] would take six or seven years to build. And we already have one that’s finished. And we’re going to have a platoon [of M1E3 Abrams] that’s out with formations next year,” George said during a panel discussion at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif., in December.
The testing planned for this summer and into the fall will occur with units supporting the Army’s Transforming in Contact rapid experimentation initiative, according to Ingraham.
