The U.S. Army's new vehicle is a force to be reckoned with, but it's not exactly the tank some might be expecting. In June 2022, the U.S. Army announced the latest developments of its Mobile Protected Firepower program, which will utilize a new lightweight armored vehicle,

designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems.

This new Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle (MPF) is about adaptability, efficiency, and strategy. The M1 Abrams tank is a 70-ton behemoth equipped with a 120mm cannon; the MPFs will be 30-ton vehicles with 105mm cannons (via U.S. Army). They will be armored like a tank yet compact enough to be airlifted onto battlefields and maneuvered in tight environments.

The MPFs are a reflection of the changing nature of warfare – a long way from the battles that saw tanks first deployed in World War I. Enormous, ground-based military encounters dominated the first and second World Wars, but these days it's as much about precision and technology as it is about having the biggest guns on the toughest vehicles.

The concept behind the MPF is a little like Cobra Kai's motto: strike first, strike hard. That means dispatching smaller enemy forces, armored vehicles, and defensive bunkers swiftly and efficiently, gaining the upper hand before enemy forces can even react. Expect next-generation tanks to be on a diet when the military implements its first MPFs by late 2025.