The new model will enter production soon.
The United States has concluded the development of a new light tank known as the Mobile Protected Firepower, as reported by Sarbaz.kz citing American media sources.
At present, the client has completed the competitive phase of the program and has commissioned limited-scale production of this novel piece of machinery. The vehicle has already been designated and awaits its operational deployment.
The MPF program was initiated in 2015, with the objective of crafting a combat-armored machine weighing 32 tons. This tank, armed with 105mm and 120mm caliber cannons, boasts reinforced protection. The intended purpose for these vehicles is to complement the existing arsenal of the US Army's M1 Abrams tanks. However, unlike their predecessors, these new-age machines are poised to exhibit greater tactical and operational agility.
In late 2018, the competitive stage of the program commenced, with the participation of two American commercial companies. By spring 2020, both firms had unveiled experimental prototypes. Over the ensuing two years, various forms of testing were conducted by the military. In the summer of the preceding year, the development by GDLS emerged as the victor.
Securing the winning title, the company secured a contract stipulating the delivery of 26 armored MPF vehicles to the client by October 2024, at an aggregate cost of approximately $320 million. Of these, 18 tanks will be built from scratch, while the remaining 8 will be modeled after the prototype vehicles that previously underwent testing.
The US ground forces will be equipped with 42 armored vehicles no later than 2025. By year-end, the company will embark upon full-scale serial production. Furthermore, in accordance with the Pentagon's agenda, an army modernisation strategy is slated to unfold over the course of the next 12 years, during which specially designated battalions will receive a total of 504 armored vehicles.
