Ground Combat Syste Ms Project Manager Armored Brigade Combat Team (pm Abct) Product Manager Abrams

Abstract

Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) manages the development , systems integration, acquisition , testing, fielding, modernization and sustainment of the U.S. Army's ground combat systems to provide world-class, affordable and relevant capabilities to soldiers and marines. Systems include the Abrams main battle tank, Bradley Family of Vehicles (FoV), self-propelled howitzers, Armored Knight FoV, M113 armored personnel carrier, M88 HERCULES, armored multipurpose vehicle, Stryker FoV, ground combat vehicle, robotics and unmanned ground systems. PEO GCS operates with a multibillion-dollar annual budget and retains more than 1,200 military and civilian employees, including three board-selected Army project managers and one U.S. Marine Corps joint project manager. The PM ABCT serves as the life-cycle manager for the Army's armored combat vehicle programs, including the Abrams tank, M88 HERCULES, Bradley fighting vehicle, M113 armored personnel carrier, Paladin, field artillery ammunition supply vehicle (FAASV), Armored Knight FoV and the armored multipurpose vehicle. The Abrams Tank provides soldiers with the mobility, firepower and shock effect to successfully close in and destroy enemy forces on the complex, integrated battlefield. It is the only weapon system that can withstand the impact of high-energy warheads and remain lethal in full spectrum operations. The 120 mm main gun on the M1A1 Situational Awareness (SA) and M1A2 SEPv2, combined with the powerful 1,500-hp turbine engine and special armor, make the Abrams tank suitable for attacking or defending against large concentrations of heavy armor forces on a highly lethal battlefield and for roles that require shock effect, wide-area surveillance, combined arms maneuver, and mobile direct firepower to support Army mission requirements. While every vehicle is designed to have a space, weight and power (SWaP) margin for incremental improvements, recent upgrades made to the Abrams M1A2 SEPv2 have left little margin for future improvements. To alleviate these SWaP constraints, the Army launched the Abrams engineering change proposal (ECP) 1 program, which is designed to buy back SWaP by redesigning and modernizing many elements of the tank. This program is a modification to the system that leaves the essential capability unchanged. The Abrams ECP1 program will help ensure that the Army can