	Why This Issue Is Important to Congress

The M-1 Abrams Tank, the M-2/M-3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV), and the M-1126 Stryker Combat Vehicle are the centerpieces of the Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) and Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs). ABCTs and SBCTs constitute the Army's "heavy" ground forces; they provide varying degrees of armored protection and mobility that the Army's light, airborne (parachute), and air assault (helicopter transported) infantry units that constitute Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) do not possess. These three combat vehicles have a long history of service in the Army. The first M-1 Abrams Tank entered service with the Army in 1980; the M-2/M-3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle in 1981; and the Stryker Combat Vehicle in 2001. Under current Army modernization plans, the Army envisions all three vehicles in service with Active and National Guard forces beyond FY2028. Congress is concerned with the long-term military effectiveness of these vehicles. It is also sensitive to the economic aspect of Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker modernization and recapitalization which are necessary to keep these vehicles operationally effective and in service. The majority of the M-1s were the M-1A1 model. Why the Active Component and National Guard Have Different Versions of the M-1 Abrams14

Many, including some in Congress, have expressed concern that there are different versions of the M-1 Abrams in service with the Active Component (AC) and the Army National Guard (ARNG). FY2015 M-2/M-3 Allocation by Component

		M-1126 Stryker22

There are currently eight Stryker variants in service with SBCTs as discussed below. Active Protection Systems (APS) for the Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker

The Army reportedly intends to begin testing Active Protective Systems (APS) on a number of its combat vehicles, including the Abrams, Bradleys, and Strykers, before FY2019. The Army, however, is planning for a successor to the Bradley—the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV). Potential Issues for Congress

		"Up-Gunning" the Entire Stryker Fleet

As previously noted, the Army reportedly is considering upgrading the lethality of the entire Stryker fleet.
The M-1 Abrams Tank, the M-2/M-3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV), and the M-1126 Stryker Combat Vehicle are the centerpieces of the Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) and Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs).
In addition to the military effectiveness of these vehicles, Congress is also concerned with the economic aspect of Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker recapitalization and modernization. Due to force structure cuts and lack of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) opportunities, Congress has expressed a great deal of concern with the health of the domestic armored combat vehicle industrial base.
ABCTs and SBCTs constitute the Army's "heavy" ground forces; they provide varying degrees of armored protection and mobility that the Army's light, airborne (parachute), and air assault (helicopter transported) infantry units that constitute Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) do not possess.
These three combat vehicles have a long history of service in the Army. The first M-1 Abrams Tank entered service with the Army in 1980; the M-2/M-3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle in 1981; and the Stryker Combat Vehicle in 2001. Under current Army modernization plans, the Army envisions all three vehicles in service with Active and National Guard forces beyond FY2028.
There are several different versions of these vehicles in service. The Marines, for example, have an older version of the M-1 Abrams tank and the Active Component of the Army has the most modern version of the Abrams while some Army National Guard units have an older version of the M-1. There are also different M-2/M-3 Bradley versions in the Active and Reserve Components and some have called for "pure fleeting" (i.e., all components using the same variant) in both the Active and Reserves so they have the same models.
There are plans to upgrade and modernize these weapon systems but currently only the M-2/M-3 Bradley is scheduled to be replaced by the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV) sometime after FY2029. The Army has not said much publicly about eventual successors for the M-1 and M-1126.
Potential issues for Congress include "up-gunning" the entire Stryker fleet and the Active Protection Systems (APS) for the Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker.