The U.S. Army is preparing the M1A2 Abrams, its long-serving main battle tank, to be able to fight through the 2020s with a some upgrades. The latest version of the tank, now designated M1A2C, could well be the last upgrade for the Abrams until a replacement vehicle is fielded sometime in the next decade.
In 1980, the Army unveiled a new tank that was a clean break from previous tanks. Totally unlike the previous generation M60 main battle tank, the M1 Abrams featured sleek, angular features, top secret Chobham armor imported from the U.K. that mixed ceramic and steel plates for superior protection, a powerful and quiet gas turbine engine, new crew survival features, and a fire control system that allowed up to 90 percent accuracy at ranges of 2,000 meters.
The new Abrams tank is the M1A2C, formerly known under development as the M1A2 SEPv3. It now has a system known as Ammunition DataLink, that allows the tank crew to set a distance for a tank shell to explode, ensuring it detonates inside a building instead of sailing right through it. By making sure the shell goes where its supposed to go it lessens the likelihood the shell will fly on, possibly inflicting casualties on civilians.
The -C model also features even better infrared sights, a low slung, remotely-operated .50 caliber machine gun for the tank commander, and an auxiliary power unit (APU). The A.P.U allows a tank to power communications and sensors, monitoring the battlefield, without running its powerful 1,500 horsepower gas turbine engine, notorious for burning gallons per mile—and getting hot enough to barbecue steaks off its exhaust louvers. And while that’s a neat party trick, it also presents a pretty juicy target for any enemy infrared sensors and heat-seeking missiles launched in its way.
One of the most important -C upgrades is a new active protection system meant to defeat enemy anti-tank weapons.
The photo shows what appears to be a M1A2SEP series tank with the low-profile version of the CROWS machine gun turret. The SEP tanks are hard to differentiate, but the low profile CROWS turret makes it at least a v3. The big upgrade in this photo is the presence of the Israeli-made Trophy active protection system (APS), bolted to the side of the turret and painted green. Given that the tank features the latest Abrams upgrades and the Trophy APS, this is almost certainly an M1A2C.
Source: https://tinyurl.com/57cjh9wb