By 'taking' stock outside of assets used by the United States military, Uncle Sam's country has confirmed the delivery of 31 units of the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) to Ukraine.
Although it is clear which variant of the Abrams will be delivered, however, it is a big question mark, such as the ability of the Ukrainian military to operate and maintain the Abrams MBT, one of the issues being the adoption of a turbine engine on the Abrams which is considered not ideal for combat operations in Ukraine.
Apart from the wasteful nature of fuel, complicated turbine engines require extra maintenance than conventional MBTs with diesel engines. These conditions are expected to make it difficult for Abrams to operate in the hands of Ukrainian troops.
Based on the conditions above, there has actually been an attempt by the manufacturer - General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) - to install a diesel powerpack on the Abrams MBT.
The M1A2 Abrams MBT is currently powered by a Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engine with 1,500 horsepower. The engine is combined with the Allison X1100-3B transmission and other components in one integrated propulsion unit known as a Full-Up Power Pack (FUPP).
The AGT1500 offers certain advantages over the diesel engines used in Western MBTs, such as the German Leopard 2 and British Challenger 2 which Ukraine will also receive. The turbine engines have faster acceleration and relatively quieter operation, the latter of which makes the Abrams variant much more difficult to detect.
However, the superiority of the above can be enjoyed by the Abrams at the expense of a high level of fuel consumption, which depends on the type of fuel used. While much attention has generally been focused on the ability of the AGT1500 to consume jet fuel, such as avtur as an alternative.
The idea to replace the AGT1500 with a diesel engine on the Abrams MBT had already been carried out by GDLS, as an alternative propulsion option involving traditional diesel engines, since the late 1990s.
In 1997, GDLS began exploring a diesel arrangement called the EuroPowerPack. It consists of a 1,500 horsepower V12 MT-883 diesel engine from German company MTU linked to an HSWL 295TM transmission from another German company, RENK. The company developed the EuroPowerPack-equipped Abrams as part of a bid for the Turkish military.
GDLS tested the Abrams prototype using the German MTU MT-883/HSWL 295TM diesel engine in a modified hull and turret of the M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) variant.
“Tests included 300 miles of reliability and maintainability evaluation across five test programs firing 70 main gun rounds at stationary and moving targets,” according to a GDLS press release issued by the company on April 11, 2000. These tests validated the successful integration of a diesel-powered chassis into the Abrams MBT.
Testing the Abrams with a diesel engine shows versatility. The tank moved about as well as standard turbine-powered with no difference in target detection, identification or accuracy of the main gun. Tests confirmed that the tank's performance was not altered by the diesel engine and had significantly lower operating costs.
However, Turkey ultimately decided to purchase the German-made Leopard 2, which is powered by a different type of MTU V12 diesel engine. MTU does offer the EuroPowerPack, and its derivatives, as an option for the Leopard 2 and other tanks.
In 1999, GDLS began work on another diesel configuration which used a Continental AVDS 1790 V12 diesel engine, rated at 1,500 horsepower as the AGT1500, coupled with an Allison X7050 transmission. The AVDS 1790 version has been used in other US tanks and heavy armored vehicles, including the M60 Patton variant.
Although not forgetting the turbine engine capabilities, the AbramsX MBT prototype launched by GDLS last year featured a conventional hybrid electric propulsion system. The AbramsX features lighter weight for increased mobility and payload capability, providing the same tactical range as the M1A2 Abrams while consuming 50 percent less fuel.
With the above conditions, is it possible that the M1A2 Abrams, which will compete in Ukraine, will use a diesel engine? We'll just wait for the action.