The U.S. military’s next-generation M1E3 tank and XM30 infantry fighting vehicle conducted live-fire shooting

The U.S. Army's next-generation M1E3 "Abran" main combat vehicle (middle) is in the same frame as two XM30 infantry combat vehicle prototypes. (Taken from Alexander Miller’s LinkedIn)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. military’s next-generation combat vehicles and infantry combat vehicles have released live-fire shooting updates! Senior U.S. Army officials recently released the latest test images, including the M1E3 main battle vehicle (MBT) pre-prototype vehicle under development and the XM30 prototype vehicle that is competing to replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), both of which are firing live ammunition.

The US military's mobile tactical artillery was tested, using a wheeled chassis to carry large artillery. (Taken from Alexander Miller LinkedIn)

Military news website "Defence Blog" reported that U.S. Army Chief of Staff Chief Technology Officer Alexander Miller released this live-fire shooting video on the professional social networking platform LinkedIn. Miller revealed that he personally went to the actual test site to operate the M1E3 pre-prototype vehicle, XM30 bidding vehicle and mobile tactical artillery, and inspected the anti-drone test, but did not disclose the specific test location and participating troops.

The M1E3 "Ablan" main combat vehicle is a new generation of main combat vehicle launched by the US military in 2023 after canceling the original SEPv4 upgrade plan. It adopts an unmanned turret, an automatic loading system and a three-person crew configuration. It is expected to be tested by the "Iron Horse" brigade of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division.

As for the XM30 infantry combat vehicle project, General Dynamics Land Systems' Wolf and the American company Rheinmetall's Lynx will compete in derivative designs. Each manufacturer will build eight prototypes. It is expected that the National Training Center (NTC) will conduct rotation training and evaluation in the spring of 2027, and the Army will be able to select the final winner.

The new tank emphasizes that firepower must also compete with quantity.

Miller emphasized in the article that even with the rapid development of modern technology, "mass" (mass) on the battlefield is still crucial. He believes that to seize and hold positions, troops must have affordable large-scale combat capabilities and autonomous mission planning capabilities beyond human scale. Miller bluntly said that the first battle against any opponent "should be an exchange of blood and steel, using their blood for our steel."

In addition to the firepower display, Miller also talked about the serious power consumption problem that frontline troops are facing. A soldier consumes 60 to 120 watts of power depending on the equipment. An infantry squad plus a drone battery requires close to 1 kilowatt. How to provide mobile power without exposing heat sources and sound characteristics has become a key challenge. The U.S. Army has not yet announced when the M1E3 will be handed over to the "Iron Horse" brigade for testing, nor has it announced the specific test results of this live-fire firing.