The commander of the U.S. Army, General Randy George, has ordered a radical change in the process of modernizing the M40 Abrams tank, which has a service life of nearly 1 years. Frustrated with the complex and time-consuming nature of traditional defense acquisition processes, General George, through his chief technology officer, Dr. Alex Miller, has directed the military and industry partners to think outside the box to achieve better, faster results.
Speaking to Defense News in an exclusive interview at the Pentagon, Dr. Miller referred to the military's past bureaucratic clumsiness, referring to the movie "Pentagon Wars" that satirically portrayed the setbacks in the development of the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle in the 1970s, and said, "We don't want to turn into Pentagon Wars."
Miller criticized the military’s long-standing commitment to risk-averse procurement timelines, where a program is approved and technology is expected to mature for up to a decade. He said this approach stems from the government’s desire to understand and feel comfortable with every potential risk. “Because you have to understand the entire environment and the entire technology so well that the decision you make today is right 30 years from now and it doesn’t make sense anymore,” he said.
Comprehensive Modernization Decision and Next-Generation Abrams
Instead of simple upgrades planned for September 2023 to simply increase the Abrams’ mobility and survivability on the battlefield, the Army decided to launch a much more comprehensive modernization effort for the tank. In line with this, a contract was signed in spring 2024 with General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the Abrams’ original equipment manufacturer, to define requirements for the new tank variant and begin work on its preliminary design.
Vague requirements for the new model included a lighter build, improved protection levels and features such as an autoloader. However, limited information has been shared about these plans over the past year, with only the Army’s stated intention to field the new M1E3 variant in time with the launch of the M2030 Mechanized Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which is expected to replace the Bradley in the early 30s.
General George’s Speed Order: “Accept the Risk”
Dr. Miller said that after General George became commander of the Army about 18 months ago, he was told in a meeting with the Ground Combat Systems Program Executive Office in Detroit that the first prototype of the new tank would take 65 months to build. Finding this long timeline unacceptable, General George instructed the team to find ways to move much faster.
Miller emphasized that they have been given significant leeway over the last few months to say, “Hey, stop doing stupid things, increase power when necessary, accept risk when it’s responsible and pragmatic.” “Don’t burden yourself with policies and regulations that have been made for different parts… Use whatever is legal, ethical and acceptable and stop trying to manage all the risk to the point where there is no risk because there will always be risk,” Miller said, summing up General George’s pragmatic approach to risk management.
Goal: Launching New Abrams in 24-30 Months
Miller said the Army now plans to deliver a new Abrams variant to soldiers in 24 to 30 months, cutting the timeline to about a third of the original projection. Miller said he is working closely with Abrams program manager Col. Ryan Howell to achieve this ambitious goal. “We are taking advantage of every authority we can and we are going. I want to see that before I retire.”
While Miller acknowledged that there were many elements of the Abrams tank that worked well — such as the 120mm smoothbore gun and armor structure — he noted the potential of modern technology, saying, “the things we’re really after are, ‘Hey, what’s happened for the drivetrain in the last 40 years? What’s happened for power generation in the last 40 years?’”
Leveraging Autoloader and Commercial Technologies
One of the longer-term goals for the new Abrams is an autoloading capability. Miller noted that a tank autoloader is a technologically challenging problem and will likely take more time. But he said the Army wants to see how industry can solve the problem technologically and create a specific design that will work safely and effectively inside the tank.
According to Miller, there are many readily available capabilities in the commercial heavy equipment world that can be easily implemented, especially in areas such as powertrains and power generation. The Army aims to accelerate the modernization process by leveraging these commercial technologies.
Potential for Rapid Improvement in Active Protection and Interior Ergonomics
The Army also believes it can move faster in integrating active protection systems into the tank. The Army, which has so far only been able to equip a limited number of Abrams tanks with the Israeli Rafael Trophy Active Protection System, is evaluating different solutions due to the difficulties in fully integrating the system. Miller said that there is potential on the table for rapid improvements to interior ergonomics, tank control systems and even targeting systems. “There’s no reason why this shouldn’t look like an F1 cockpit because the technology is there,” he said.
New Partnership Model with Industry
This accelerated effort requires the military to partner with industry in a different way, Miller said. “What if we partner with industry and say, ‘You do some of the trade-offs in-house,’ and let industry put the right thing together instead of the government trying to act like they know everything?” Miller noted that allowing industry to pick and choose the parts and pieces actually allows them to build their supply chain, which is critical to supply chain stability and resilience.
A Model for the Future
The Army plans to award a contract to GDLS as early as May to rapidly select and adopt new capabilities for a modernized tank. “Then it’s off to the races to make sure GD has all the right players and that all of this stuff is modular,” Miller said.
Miller criticized traditional defense industry procurement processes for “stifling the industrial base,” saying, “We don’t allow them to organize themselves around a problem. We over-specify the solution and then get angry when they deliver exactly what we want and we don’t give them any flexibility.”
By taking a similar approach to software capability acquisition, the Army will have greater confidence in program managers to accept appropriate risk. It will ensure that all designers, testers and users are on board from day one, so that when the new Abrams launches, it will be safe and functional, Miller said.
If efforts to accelerate the M1E3 are successful, it could lead to broader procurement reform. Miller said the initiative is a precursor to doing things differently and encouraging innovation. “I think when we get a win here, we’ll be able to look at other programs and say, ‘Hey, you can do the same thing,’” he said.
The effort dovetails with acquisition reform initiatives launched by President Donald Trump’s administration in an executive order signed earlier this month. Miller said the new approach aligns with those reform efforts and that the military is prepared to do so.
