The M1 Abrams is the main battle tank of the USA and is also used by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Australia. In a short time it will arrive in the Ukraine to participate in the war against Russia together with the German Leopard and British Challenger tanks. But before the transfer takes effect, USA has announced that it will start training Ukrainian soldiers in the operation and maintenance of the Abrams tanksthe Associated Press reported Friday, citing anonymous US officials.
The decision was announced as defense ministers from some 40 countries meet at the US military base Ramstein in Germany as part of Ukrainian Defense Support Contact Group to coordinate more arms shipments to the country fighting the Russian invasion.
According to the AP agency, up to 31 Abrams battle tanks They will be taken to the training base of Grafenwoehr in Germany at the end of May, and the Ukrainian army will start training a few weeks later in a process that will last about 10 weeks.
These battle tanks equipped with 120 mm cannons and 50 caliber machine guns, could be a big game changer for Ukraine’s aspirations to regain territory lost since the Russian invasion began more than a year ago. It is unknown to this day what the technological capacity of the Abrams variants destined for Ukraine will be, but experts assure that if they have advanced aiming sensors in range and resolution, they could be very successful when it comes to destroying Russian armored vehicles.
The Abrams tanks used for training will not be the only ones to be delivered to Ukraine to fight Russia. Other 31 M1-Abrams tanks they are being updated in the United States and will be delivered when they are ready for use.
In accordance with the intentions of the US authorities, when the currently modernized tanks are ready, Ukrainian soldiers will be trained to operate them. About 250 Ukrainians will take part in the training; some of them will learn how to operate tanks and some of them will learn how to repair and maintain them.
The United States and its NATO allies have provided Ukraine with a wide range of armored fighting vehicles, including the stryker and the M2 Bradley. However, until recently, the only main battle tanks Ukraine received were Soviet-era ones supplied by former Warsaw Pact countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania.
According to the Global Firepower website, Moscow operates more than 12,000 tanks, in contrast to Ukraine’s 1,890. Although Russia has a huge advantage in terms of numbers, many of its tanks are outdated and lack maintenance and proper artillery. Therefore, the technological advantage that these US vehicles will provide to Ukraine could have a significant impact on the development of the conflict.
Since its introduction, the M1 Abrams main battle tank has been involved in major US military operations, including Operation Desert Storm and the Iraq War. The M1 Abrams was first delivered in the early 1980s and over 1,000 have been built since then. 9,000 units in the US and Egypt. In recent years, this car has undergone several updates.
