Army unveils Roush-built tank prototype at auto show

DETROIT — Automobiles built by top suppliers weren’t the only things on display at the Detroit Auto Show.

In a media event held Jan. 15, the U.S. Army unveiled the M1E3 Abrams battle tank, a prototype of what the Army is calling its next generation of tanks.

The tank features a hybrid diesel drivetrain and a remote-controlled turret created with the ability to be outfitted with a slew of different weaponry, including anti-drone weapons. It is also outfitted with an autoloader for its main 120 mm cannon, which allows all crewmen to remain inside the vehicle as well as reduces the number of crew in the tank from four to three.

“(Autoloaders) have been around for a long time. It’s not new. You just want to make sure they’re reliable,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Troy Denomy said. “Bringing in an autoloader allows us to take the humans out of the turret, which allows us to make the turret smaller and vehicle more survivable.”

According to U.S. Army Col. Ryan Howell, while many aspects of the tank will remain unchanged — such as the armor and location of the weapons — the tank will be built around a digital backbone that will allow systems to be integrated faster as challenges and threats change.

Howell said the tank is based on lessons learned from other conflicts and is designed for a generation of soldiers who haven’t even been recruited yet.

“The advances around optics, and how the crew interacts with it, and then the young generation, what are the tools that they need, because we’re not building the tank for myself. … We’re building it for a younger generation that hasn’t even necessarily been recruited,” he said.

Denomy said the crew compartment of the tank will look like a race car.

The prototype, which was created by Warren-based Roush Defense, is one of four planned to be produced and put into the hands of soldiers, Howell said.

“The tank behind us is the first prototype to get that soldier feedback,” he said. “The challenge that we have going forward is there’s not really any good models, and there’s no other way to do theory and modeling of how do these three tank crew members, with interoperable screens and gaming controls, fight this tank on a battlefield.”

Howell said the reduced cost of manufacturing the tank — which is expected to be less than it costs to manufacture the current models — will also help to drive down the cost of sustaining the tanks as well.

Using the diesel-hybrid drivetrain system will reduce the cost of fuel, as well as the weight of the tank, he said.

Alex Miller, chief technical officer for the U.S. Army, said it took less than a year for the prototype to be built.

“I cannot stress enough that this tank that is here, drove in here. This was not towed. … This is a real tank,” he said. “This is going to go to safety and gunnery. You’re going to put this in the hands of soldiers. They’re going to fight this tank. We did it in a year. So, rather than the 15-year development cycle and maybe somebody sees it within their career, this team actually did the thing.”

Miller said the tank represents the Army’s drive to put robots in front of soldiers.

“This is your Army actually putting steady conditions so that we can make sure that America’s next first battle, as unfortunate as it will be when it gets here, and it will come, that we are putting robots in front of soldiers, that we are trading blood for steel,” he said.

According to a press release from the Army, initial operational capability of the tank is expected in the early 2030s.

The public can see the tank on display in Exhibit Hall E during the Detroit Auto Show, which runs Jan. 17-25 at Huntington Place.