Pentagon's bold move: U.S. Army to get high-tech overhaul
The Pentagon plans to modernize the armored and mechanized forces of the U.S. Army. Some armored brigades will be converted into light infantry units, while those that remain can anticipate a revolutionary upgrade with new tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, stemming from the M1E3 and XM30 programs.
Changes to the U.S. Army's structure, proposed by Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, are reported by Defence 24. These reforms, suggested by the Secretary of Defense, aim to significantly increase the use of unmanned systems in American units, enhance their mobility, and ensure the ability to strike targets deep within enemy formations.
The Pentagon Chief advocates for the withdrawal of some older weapon models—such as the AH-64D—and the widespread introduction of ISV (Infantry Squad Vehicle) to replace both the older Humvees and the recently introduced JLTV vehicles intended to replace them.
The production and partial operation of these vehicles will be halted in favor of lighter and more easily air-transportable ISVs. The light tank M10 Booker (fire support vehicle), which began testing in 2024, will also be affected by the modernization, despite already consuming nearly $7 billion in development costs.
Changes will also impact the army's structure—select National Guard armored brigades will be transformed into light infantry units capable of rapid air deployment. This is intended to enhance U.S. capabilities for quick action in the Indo-Pacific region.
At the same time, with the reduction in the number of armored brigades, the remaining units of this type are set to receive new weaponry, such as M1E3 tanks and armored vehicles developed under the XM30 program.
new equipment for the US Army
The first name—which will likely be changed to M1A3 once the vehicle is introduced into service—refers to a new tank. Although formally, for easier program funding, it is a modernized Abrams tank, in practice, the M1E3 is a vehicle with a different structural layout, featuring an unmanned turret and a crew seated in the hull.
XM30 is a futuristic infantry fighting vehicle set to replace the M2 Bradley vehicles, which have been in use since the 1980s. The process of selecting the design that will become the foundation of American mechanized forces in the coming years is now in its final stages. Two designs are competing for the Pentagon contract: the KF41 Lynx developed by Rheinmetall and the Griffin III offered by General Dynamics, which is a modernization of the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle.
