While recognizing the importance of UAVs, digitization, and helicopters, the need for a tank-like system remains a high priority well into the next century.

The US Army does not yet visualize a change in the central role of the tank on the future battlefield. But it was subsequently determined that these weapon system technologies would not be available to meet threat-driven timelines. The ongoing M1 Abrams tank Block modernization program in the late 1980s had initially expected to integrate electrothermal or electromagnetic weapon systems into the M1A3 (or M1 Block III) tank. Ammunition plays an important role in this process.

It is proposed to increase combat characteristics by improving other components of the weapons complex. Their replacement is not planned in the future - with all the updates and improvements, the Abrams will retain their regular weapons. Tanks, as before, carry 120 mm M256A1 guns with a 44-caliber barrel. Over the past few decades, the Pentagon and American industrystudied the possibility of a radical upgrade of weapons of MBT M1A2, but in the end everything remained as before. To increase the combat qualities, it is planned to continue to improve the LMS and create new ammunition. At the same time, the military is not going to abandon the existing 120 mm M256A1 gun. They are planned to be regularly repaired and modernized. According to Pentagon current plans, the main battle tanks of the M1A2 Abrams will remain in service for the next several decades.

Future military tank