M2 Main Battle Tank

M2 on static display at Royal Army Armored School

The M2 is a Manticoran 4th Generation Main Battle Tank. Developed as part of the Army 21 Initiative from 1995 until its introduction in 2008, it is highly mobile and well protected, with advanced Trophy Active Protection Systems and advanced computerized fire control systems and designed from the ground up for modern warfare, the M2 is well armored and heavily armed. Notable features include the use of a powerful multifuel engine, the adoption of nano-composite armor, and three machine guns and a light cannon that provide 360-degrees of close range defense. Weighing 55 metric tons, it is lighter than its predecessor while offering better protection and firepower.

The M2 entered service in 2008, replacing the M1 tank in Army service.

## **History**

The M2 was developed as a part of Army 21 and as a successor to the M1 tank in service since the 1980s. The M2 contract went to Corvus Defense, the same company that designed and built the M1. It is the first Manticoran Main Battle Tank to make use of depleted uranium mesh reinforced nano-composite armor and to be designed with active protection systems in mind. Lessons learned from the M1 were applied during the design process as well as technology developed under the Army 21 program.

### **Development**

Development of the M2 began in 1995 as part of the Army 21 Next Generation Tank program and continued until 2008, when it reached initial operating capability. During development, the design team decided to focus on improving its protection and mobility. It was designed around a 2,000 horsepower multi-fuel turbine engine and a 140mm main gun. CDS had promised to deliver the first of the new tanks to the Imperial Army by 2005 but production was delayed until December 2005 due to problems with the Fire Control System. Initial production continued through 2007, with several bugs detected and resolved before IOC was achieved in 2008.

### **Lessons from the M1**

Several lessons had been learned from M1 deployments. These included how vulnerable tanks were in urban environments, how important cupolas were for the soldiers operating machine guns, and how dangerous RPGs could be. The responses would be the introduction of active protection systems and remote weapons stations, as well as explosive reactive armor.

### **Upgrades**

Between 2008 and 2018, several upgrades have been made to the M2 family. The addition of explosive reactive armor, proximity sensors and IFF readers, improvements to the Trophy system, and improved fire control capability have greatly improved the flexibility and survivability of the M2 series of tanks.

### **Nordiuh Insurgencies**

The ongoing insurgencies in Nordiuh have given the M2 its baptism of fire.

### **Future**

As of September 2018, no plans exist to replace the M2.

## **Design**

### **Countermeasures**

The M2 is equipped with numerous countermeasures to defeat enemy anti-tank guided missiles. These countermeasures include chaff, flares, decoys, radar and GPS jammers, and laser dazzlers.

### **Camouflage**

The M2 follows a similar camouflage pattern to the M1, which is either desert tan or woodland disruptive, made with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating. M2 tanks are also issued with the Saab Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System. This renders them effectively invisible to visible, thermal infrared, and radar detection systems, at least at a distance. This makes the M2 a lethal weapon of war.

### **Concealment**

In addition to the Saab Barracuda MCS, the M2 is also equipped with eight smoke grenade launchers that provide even greater protection from thermal and vision detection systems.

### **Active Protection Systems**

An advanced Trophy system serves as the Active Protection System for the M2, should the camouflage fail to fool an enemy, as well as Softkill APS and the AN/VLQ-6 Missile Countermeasure Device. These disrupt the guidance systems of incoming guided missiles, such as Javelin equivalents, or by using flares and the Trophy system to destroy incoming projectiles. The Trophy system incorporates a shotgun-like blast and Iron Fist type explosive projectiles as well as small missiles to defeat anti-tank rockets, grenades, and incoming artillery shells. Reactive armor is also issued in urban environments.

### **Armor**

The M2 uses depleted uranium mesh reinforced nano-composite armor as opposed to the depleted uranium mesh reinforced Chobham armor of the M2. The nano-composite armor bends slightly to absorb the impact of any rounds not intercepted by the APS and has superb thermal protection properties, enabling it to survive attacks that would kill most other tanks.

### **Damage Control**

The M2 contains a halon firefighting system to extinguish engine fires and fires in the crew compartment. Because the halogen gas is toxic, crews are equipped with face masks similar to those worn by firefighters. Small fire extinguishers are also available in small compartments. Ammunition is stored in separate blowout compartments that are jettisoned if the halon system is activated to prevent the ammunition from cooking off and causing further damage. The ammunition for the main gun is held in a compartment in the back of the turret with doors that open under power only long enough for the auto-reloading system to collect a new round before closing.

## **Armament**

### **Primary Armament**

The Primary Armament of the M2 series tanks is a 140mm M277 firing primarily the M1111 mid-range munition. This precision guided round allows the M2 to engage targets beyond line of sight with pinpoint accuracy, turning the tank into an anti-vehicle sniper. The tank can also fire canister, sabot, and HESH rounds.

### **Secondary Armament**

The M2 is equipped with 1 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun, though up to one more can be mounted based on mission requirements. One M2 is mounted in a remote weapons station on the commander's hatch. A second one can be mounted on the gunners hatch. One 7.62mm machine gun is mounted co-axially to the right of the main gun.

### **Aiming**

The M2 is equipped with a ballistic fire control computer that uses information gathered from laser and radar guidance systems, laser rangefinder, crosswind sensor, pendulum static cant sensor, technical data on the rounds being fired, boresight alignment data, temperature of the ammunition and the air, barometric pressure, a muzzle reference system (MRS) that determines and compensates for barrel drop at the muzzle due to gravitational pull and barrel heating due to firing or sunlight, and target speed determined by tracking rate tachometers in the Gunner's or Commander's Controls Handles. This data is then combined to craft a firing solution for the gunner that is automatically updated 30 times a second, providing the Gunner the best possible chance of a hit. All changes to elevation and lead are done by computer, leaving the gunner to simply fire the gun. In the event of a computer failure, telescopic sights that have been boresighted to the main gun can be used to aim both the main and coaxial weapons. Sights attached to the cupola guns can also be used to detect and engage targets, turning the M2 into a true sniper.

## **Mobility**

### **Tactical**

The M2's powertrain comprises a 2,000 shaft horsepower Honeywell AGT 1650 multi-fuel gas turbine, and a six speed (four forward, two reverse) Allison X-1100-3B Hydro-Kinetic automatic transmission, giving it a governed top speed of 70 kilometers per hour on paved roads and an off-road speed of 60 km/h. With the engine governor removed, speeds of around 100 kilometers an hour are possible, though with the possibility of severe damage to the drivetrain (especially the tracks) and injury to the crew. The multi-fuel engine can accept diesel, kerosene, any grade of motor gasoline, aviation fuel, or bio-diesel. For logistical reasons, JP-8 aviation fuel is used.

The engine has proven reliable in exercises and in the few combat operations the Schwarzkopf has taken part in. It has twice the fuel efficiency of the M1's 1,500 horsepower AGT 1500. Improvements to the exhaust system have allowed infantry to follow closer behind it, though they still need to remain at least 10 meters back or in an armored fighting vehicle during urban combat. The engine runs quieter than the AGT 1500 and plans exist to replace the AGT 1500 with the 2000 on the M1 engineer vehicles.

### **Strategic**

The M5 is able to be airlifted by C-5 or C-17 aircraft. The limited capacity of the fixed wing aircraft (2 in a C-5 and 1 in a C-17) means that any deployment is reliant on Roll On/Roll Off ships. For this reason the C-5 and C-17 are relegated to the transportation of supplies during humanitarian operations. The M2 can also be carried by the M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter Truck.

## **Variants and Upgrades**

### **M2A1**

An RMMC requirement for an amphibious main battle tank resulted in the experimental M2A1. Requirements include being able to swim five kilometers.

### **Tank Urban Survival Kit**

Most RMA M2 tanks have the option of being equipped with the Tank Urban Survival Kit to increase survivability in urban environments. The kits are rarely applied, however, as the additional weight has been shown to reduce the lifespan of the transmission, engine, and suspension.