The U.S. Army in the early 2000s had a radical aim in sight: to redraw the tank’s blueprints. The XM1202 Mounted Combat System was the core of that plan, a proposed design, no doubt a successor to the M1 Abrams, to meet the combination of speed, firepower, and high technology. However, the XM1202 was not just one step beyond the latest tank but was the main attraction of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, a far-reaching project that intended to change the Army to a lighter, quicker, and more networked force.
General Eric Shinseki, Army Chief of Staff, inaugurated the FCS plan in 1999. The program was directed at making the vehicles of the future a one-family-of-vehicles concept, where all the vehicles would be built on a common platform.
While the concept was simple, it also had its merits: modular designs would allow vehicles to be repaired faster and would lessen the logistical problems; some of the vehicles could even be air-dropped from C-130 aircraft. The XM1202 was only one of the eight manned vehicle designs chosen under the FCS program. The vehicles were all different in function but had common components and shared a digital backbone.
The most prominent feature that differentiated the XM1202 was its use of the most advanced technology. The XM360 120mm gun could fire conventional rounds as well as guided missiles interchangeably. The XM1111 Mid-Range Munition equipped the tank to shoot around corners, thus protecting the crew. The use of automation further reduced the number of crew to just a driver and a commander; the tasks that were once handled by humans but are now machines are progressively shifting.
Not less impressive were the electronics. The extremely advanced infrared sensors coupled with the tactical network system resulted in a never-before-seen situational awareness. Just like Quick Kill by Raytheon, the active protection systems could spot the danger quickly and eliminate it before it impacts the vehicle. Even though it was highly mobile, the XM1202, weighing between 18 and 24 tons, was much lighter than the Abrams. However, this concentrated on the lighter armor side.
Ironically, the cutting-edge tech that made the XM1202 groundbreaking also led to its demise. To combine firepower, protection, and weight into one package turned out to be a far more difficult feat than the team expected. Quite a number of the systems were not yet tested, and there came technical challenges in making them all work seamlessly in a team, which they struggled with to the point of giving up.
At the same time, the nature of war was different. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were important in pointing out the danger of IEDs and that only blast-resistant vehicles could survive this threat. High-speed and lightweight tanks such as the XM1202 did not fit the new world, while MRAPs were the best bets for asymmetric warfare scenarios.
Furthermore, the FCS program was plagued by slow-moving bureaucracy and ballooning budget problems, too. It got cancelled in 2009, ten years after its launch, and more than $18 billion had been spent on it without a single deployable vehicle being produced.
Firstly, the XM1202, with its fancy features and little practical use, was on the list of the projects killed when Defense Secretary Robert Gates shut the program down. Besides this, dividing the contracts between Boeing, BAE Systems, and General Dynamics complicated the issue even more.
Once Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the call and pulled out the plug, the Army redirected attention towards tried and tested platforms. Opting not to take a chance on concepts that were unproven and instead going for the M1 Abrams and Bradley Fighting Vehicle modernization was the decision made. It was a decision that put immediate reliability before future promise.
In any case, the XM1202 has never ceased to exist. It was its advances in networked communications, active protection, and lightweight materials that had the greatest influence on all subsequent programs. Not only that, but the project also provided a strong warning sign: innovation should be confirmed by the real-life combat situation. That insight is still the main reason for the Army’s current stance on armored vehicle development.