M1A2 SEPv2 (USA)
4. M1A2 SEPv2 (USA)
The M1A2 SEPv2 from the United States is one of the best in the list, validated by years’ worth of experience in the battlefields. Manufactured by the General Dynamics Land Systems or GDLS, this tank has been in service in the US Army since the 1980s. The first M1 was manufactured in 1978, the M1A1 was first introduced in the battlefields in 1985, and a year after, the M1A2 was introduced to the general public. During the first production of the M1A2, more than 300 units were delivered to Saudi Arabia, 218 units for Kuwait and 77 units were given to the United States.
In 2001, the manufacturer of the tank was contacted to introduce a system enhancement package on the tank, due for 2004 release. When the SEP version was released, it featured the embedded version of the US Army, an updated Raytheon CITV, second generation thermal imager, display for digital colour terrain maps and thermal management system. Another improvement of this tank was made, and was known as the M1A2 SEP V2, which featured better survivability, automotive power pack, night vision and computer systems. The second version was considered more ‘electronically-wired’, thanks to new computers installed in the tank.