The Abrams AGDS is a vehicle proposal, drafted in July 1996 by Dr. Asher H. Sharoni (a former colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces) and Lawrence D. Bacon from a Californian company called Western Design Howden, a small military contractor for the American Department of Defense, specializing in weapon system development. The company still exists in a sense, but in 2004 it was renamed Meggitt Western Design, sold to the Meggitt PLC group and subsequently merged with its other subsidiaries.
M1 AGDS，是1996年7月由Asher H. Sharoni博士（以色列国防军前上校），和来自加利福尼亚州的一家名叫Western Design Howden公司的劳伦斯·培根（Lawrence D. Bacon）起草的车辆建议。该公司是美国国防部的一家小型军事承包商，专门从事武器系统开发。该公司仍然在某种意义上存在，但在2004年，它更名为Meggitt Western Design，出售给了Meggitt PLC集团，随后与其它子公司合并。
The main reason for the Abrams AGDS proposal was the military situation of the U.S. Army that, like the rest of the world, started to face enemies with improved technological capabilities. These included especially the following threats:
M1 AGDS的提出主要是出于当时美军的状况。就像世界其它地区一样，大家都将要面对科技水平提升后的敌人。其中尤其是以下威胁：
Tactical aircraft (attack planes, fighters in ground attack configuration)
Helicopters
Drones
Infantry and light vehicles armed with guided missiles
Large volumes of IFVs, proliferating from the former Soviet Union during the "fire sale" era of the Russian military when almost anything was available for the right price
军事飞机（攻击机和对地配置的战斗机）
直升机；
无人机；
步兵和装备ATGM的轻装甲车辆；
来自俄罗斯“贱卖”前苏联时期大量生产的IFV，当时几乎所有东西都有适合的价格。
The U.S. Army didn't have much to counter some of these threats, at least not in a universal form. Ever since the 1960s, the Americans had used a combination of the famous M163 Vulcan AA vehicle (equipped with the eponymous 20mm rotary cannon) and the MIM-72 Chaparral missile carrier, armed with a ground version of the famous Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
美军并没有足够的能力来应对这些威胁，至少不是以如此大规模的形态。 自20世纪60年代以来，美军一直使用著名的M163“火神”防空车（配备同名的20mm加特林机炮）搭配MIM-72“小檞树”防空导弹车（装备了著名的“响尾蛇”导弹的地对空版）。
This solution had numerous major problems. The Vulcan had quick reaction times and could

The Avenger didn't really solve the issues that had plagued the American AA systems in the first place. It wasn't capable of laying down ground-fire, nor was it armed with guns and the LAV-AD system that's also in use is restricted to U.S. Marines since the army doesn't use the LAV platform.
但“复仇者”并没有真正解决困扰美军防空系统的问题：它不能转为对地攻击，没有装备其它武器，而且所使用的LAV-AD系统仅限于美国海军陆战队（因为陆军不使用LAV平台）。
In his effort to provide a solution to these issues, Dr. Sharoni reached essentially the same conclusion that materialized in Russia in the form of the Terminator series – a dual purpose vehicle able to knock out both flying and ground targets, including heavily armored ones. He referred to this vehicle as the Armored Ground Defense System (AGDS).
为了提供这些问题的解决方案，Sharoni博士和俄罗斯人对BMPT终结者系列的研发一样，得出了基本相同的结论——这是一种多用途车辆，能够打击包括重装甲车辆在内的地面和飞行目标。他把这种车辆称为“装甲地面防御系统”（AGDS）。
As per his analysis, the requirements for such a vehicle would be as follows:
根据他的分析，这种车辆应该满足以下要求：
Well-armored with protection levels comparable to the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank
Cost-effective using as many existing components as possible
Reliable and easy to maintain
Rapid response time was essential
Multiple weapon systems that would be able to engage any target at a variety of distances
Fire on the move capability
Mobility to keep up with the Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs
All-weather, day/night capability
NBC protection
防护能力同M1艾布拉姆斯相当；
使用尽可能多的现有组件，具有成本效益；
可靠，易于维护；
响应时间极快；
多种武器系统，能够同各种距离的任意目标交战；
可以移动间开火；
机动性能跟得上艾布拉姆斯和布雷德利；
全天候作战能力；
核生化防护系统。
The weapon systems would have to reflect these requirements as well as the combat experience and the intended tactical use of the vehicle. The AGDS vehicle would accompany armored and infantry units, putting it in the first line of combat (hence the protection requirement). In such situations, encounters with enemy armor were not only possible but likely so the AGDS system would have to have the means to destroy them – and that meant guided missiles.
武器系统的设计必须反映实际要求，如战斗经验和车辆的预期战术用途。AGDS将与装甲和步兵部队一同置于战斗

In 1987, another AA system appeared – the ADATS (Air Defense Anti-Tank System) by Oerlikon-Contraves, consisting of a massive missile launcher capable of engaging both ground and air targets. The system was effective but extremely expensive and the project was not accepted into service due to budget constraints (with a small number of vehicles serving in Canada from 1989).
1987年，另一种新的防空系统出现——由欧瑞康·特拉伟斯公司研发的ADATS（Air Defense Anti-Tank System，防空反坦克系统），其中包括能够打击地面和空中目标的大型导弹发射器。 这套系统有效但价格非常昂贵，并且由于预算限制该项目没有通过（有一小批车辆自1989年开始在加拿大服役）。
Finally, the U.S. Army settled on the Avenger system for its close-range anti-air needs (a block of FIM-92 Stinger missiles installed on a Humvee chassis), produced from 1987 and officially entering service in 1990.
最后，为了满足近距离防空需求，美国陆军看中了“复仇者”防空系统（8枚安装在悍马底盘上的FIM-92“毒刺”导弹）。“复仇者”于1987年开始生产，并于1990年正式服役。

The biggest improvement, however, is the proposed turret. As was stated above, protection-wise this turret is on the same level as its tank counterpart due to the presence of advanced composite armor along with other features such as smoke grenade launchers and blow-off panels. This turret carries two main weapon systems (and a remotely-controlled machine-gun):
然而，最大的改进是新提出的炮塔。如上所述，由于使用了先进的复合装甲，以及烟雾弹和泄压板等其它特征，这个炮塔的防护水平应该与坦克形态的炮塔一致。这个炮塔有2个主要的武器系统（和1挺遥控机枪）：
ADATS missiles
Two Bushmaster III 35mm autocannons
ADATS导弹；
35mm“大毒蛇III”两联装机炮。
Both systems can fire on the move.
两种武器都可以移动间射击。
The ADATS missiles are the AGDS primary weapon system. They are stored in two retractable banks of six missiles, hidden inside the hull when not in the ready position. These massive 152mm HEAT-FRAG missiles weigh 51kg each (12.5kg of that belongs to the explosive) and can engage both ground and air targets and can penetrate around 900mm of RHAe, although this estimate is quite conservative and possibly incorrect with other sources claiming a performance as high as 1300mm. The maximum range of the system is 10km for both air and ground targets and the terminal missile velocity is Mach 3+ (some 1027 m/s).
ADATS导弹是AGDS的主武器。它们以6枚导弹一组，放在2个可伸缩存放槽中。当没有启动时，它们隐藏在车体内部。这些大型的152mm HEAT-FRAG导弹重量为51公斤（包括12.5公斤爆炸物），可以打击地面和空中目标，并能穿透900mm的均质钢。这个估计是相当保守的，尽管有其它来源声称其穿甲能力高达1300mm。导弹对空中和地面目标的最大距离为10km，极速可达3马赫以上（约1027 m/s）。
The Bushmaster III 35mm autocannons are used for close range combat, against aircraft, helicopters and soft targets. They can fire HE or APFSDS ammunition (thanks to their dual feed system) with a muzzle velocity of 1400 m/s at 250 rounds per minute per gun (500 rounds per minute for both guns combined). To preserve ammunition, the guns are best fired in 1.5 to 2 second bursts. The guns can depress to -15 degrees and elevate to +90 degrees.
35mm“大毒蛇III”机炮用于近距离战斗，对付飞机、直升机和轻目标。每门机炮可以在1分钟内，以1400米/秒的初速发射250发（2门加起来则为500发）HE或APFSDS弹药（得益于双路供弹系统）。为了节省弹药，开火时间最好在1.5秒至2秒内。该炮的俯仰角可达到--15°/+90°。