POTD: M1A2 Abrams Tank – Live-Fire in Bulgaria

@XT6Wagon Full agreement. We may mix-up traditional combustion some. I haven't seen anything deployed, but plasma combustion might be the way to go. Basically think tungsten wire within the shell as the primer and then an extremely high voltage is applied to the wire vaporizing it. It apparently increases the combustion efficiency a fair amount (IIRC they were seeing about 20-30% higher energy overall). I would imagine peak pressures would be higher though. Maybe why we haven't seen it.

Back on the tank railgun, doesn't need a nuclear reactor. A fully electric tank (which is eventually coming) is what it'll take.

Especially with KE rounds and no HE, there is nothing to cook off for ammunition. Now the batteries could brew up, but there are also possible battery designs that aren't particularly combustible (solid metal batteries).

You have a tank with 1000kw battery pack (that's around 1300hp) and 2000kwh, and you'd only need to divert full power to the railgun for several seconds to have a railgun with more power than a 120mm cannon. A battery pack that can peak at twice that, 2000kw could easily drive the tank at high speed AND charge the railgun. Also the rounds would be lighter and smaller for a gunner to handle. Or for an autoloader system.

Yeah, you've gotta deal with recharging in the field. But they'd also be massively more energy efficient, between regenerative braking. Idle power consumption would just be what the electrical system uses, rather than several gallons per hour just sitting around if you don't have the APU running and the main engine off. Ready to go in a heart beat, rather than needing to fire the engine up. Also silent when not moving, and significantly quieter when running full bore. Sure, treads aren't quite, but you "gun it" to accelerate from a hidden lager to engage the enemy and you won't hear a turbocharged V12/16 diesel or gas turbine roaring away.

All the power you'd need for an anti-drone/anti-missile close in laser defense system (the naval ones are looking promising and there are versions that can be mounted on a truck. Just getting smaller and lighter and more efficient). It is quite possible in 2-4 decades MANPADs aren't really a threat to most tanks because they can generally zap them. Just KE threats to worry about (other tanks).

I'd be surprised if the next tank design or modernization of the M1A2 isn't a hybrid. Any increased fuel efficiency is huge, and it allows you to dump an APU with a 30-50kwh battery. Plus it can add an extra few hundred horsepower for extra power on demand. The tank design after that will probably be fully electric. We are probably a factor of 2 on power density in batteries from making it really practical for an all electric tank (and the stuff you'd need, like battery trucks to rapidly recharge a tank platoon in the field if needed).