![]() ![]() Though for all intents and purposes identical to US Marine Corps tanks, Australia's M1A1 Abrams have not enjoyed the same reliability – a phenomenon attributable to the harsh local operating environment, but also to the way Army uses its fleet. The 15,000 shaft horsepower (shp) AGT1500 has amassed over 24 million hours of operation worldwide and is a modular design, meaning that the power unit can be split apart in the field. ![]() The recent Defence White Paper forecasts a capability upgrade in the near future, to be carried out under project Land 907 Phase 2. The overhauled engine also had a TAE Health and Usage Monitoring (HUMS) system fitted during overhaul and the Australian Army is the first Abrams operator in the world to adopt the system.Īustralia purchased 59 refurbished Abrams M1A1 Main Battle Tanks from the US in 2004 and they will remain in service until at least 2035. Previously, the Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine which powers the tank had to be shipped back to the US for overhaul at a US Army repair depot in Alabama – a process which could take between 9-12 months before the power-plant returned to Australian soil and cost up to $500,000 per unit. TAE Gas Turbines have recently delivered the first Abrams tank engine back to the Army after undergoing a major overhaul in its facility at RAAF Base Amberley. ![]()
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