GD wins $395M to modernize the Abrams tank

General Dynamics Land Systems has won an eight-year, research, development and testing contract worth $395 million to shrink electronics and improve power consumption by the Abrams taken..

The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army TASCOM Contracting Command, and has an initial value of $80 million over 12 months, the company said. No actual tank production will occur from this award.

Work will support of the Abrams main battle tank Engineering Change Proposal 1 program, which is an engineering-development effort focused creating a single upgrade program for the baseline M1 tank.

The efforts will be made for the sake of reengineering internal systems, in order to reduce size, weight and power requirements.

Specific efforts will include the miniaturization of electronics, evolving to a line replaceable module-based electronics architecture; and increasing electrical capacity through improved power generation, distribution and management.

This research and development effort will prepare the tank to accept additional Army-directed requirements in the future, without impacting current vehicle performance, the company said.

Work is to be completed by 2020, and will take place in Sterling Heights, Mich.