The Army Just Pulled the Turbine and the Loader Out of Its NEW Tank

On October 4, 2026, the Army's chief technology officer posted the first photos of the M1E3 firing live rounds, just one day after the colonel running the program called it a technology demonstrator. The tank it is meant to replace, the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams, now pushes 76 to 78 tons combat loaded. The Army's goal for the M1E3 is about 60, with no gas turbine, no human loader and no crew in the turret. In this video, we walk around the Abrams from the engine deck to the crew compartment. We look at how the tank was born from the failure of the MBT-70, why every upgrade since 1980 made it heavier, and how drones in Ukraine pushed the Army to cancel the SEPv4 in 2023. Then we look at what replaces each piece: a Caterpillar hybrid diesel, an autoloader, built-in active protection, and an architecture the Army owns itself, plus the plan to put four pre-prototypes in the hands of the 1st Cavalry Division by the end of 2026, years ahead of the old 2032 schedule. If you want to understand where American armor is heading, start here. SUBSCRIBE:    / @armedaccess   #m1e3 #usarmy #armedaccess