US Shifts Gears, Speeding Tank Delivery to Ukraine

Older Abrams model can be pulled from existing US stocks
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 25, 2023 11:47 AM CST
Updated Mar 21, 2023 4:28 PM CDT
US to Give Ukraine Tanks It Argued Were Too Complex
A soldier walks past a line of M1 Abrams tanks, Nov. 29, 2016, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo.   (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File)
UPDATE Mar 21, 2023 4:28 PM CDT

The Pentagon is speeding up its delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send a refurbished older model that can be ready faster. The plan now is to get the 70-ton battle powerhouses to the war zone by fall, the AP reports. The US was going to send the newer M1A2 Abrams model, which could have taken a year or two to build and ship, to aid in the fight against Russia's invasion. The older M1A1, officials said, can be taken from Army stocks and will be easier for Ukrainian troops to master. "This is about getting this important combat capability into the hands of the Ukrainians sooner rather than later," said Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

Jan 25, 2023 11:47 AM CST

As expected, President Biden on Wednesday announced that the US is following Germany's lead and will supply Ukraine with tanks. Some 31 Abrams tanks, which the president described as equivalent to one Ukrainian battalion, will be sent. Standout points:

  • BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue writes that the US has previously indicated that the complexity of the high-tech Abrams tanks in terms of operating and maintaining them was holding it back from making the commitment. It had pushed for the delivery of Leopard tanks, which are used by more allies and require less training.

  • But Germany, which on Wednesday announced will send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks, had said it would only do so if the US "put its Abrams on the table, not wanting to incur Russia's wrath without the US similarly committing its own tanks," per the AP.
  • The New York Times reports the tanks contributed by Germany and other allies would equal two additional battalions. Ukraine has said it would take 300 Western tanks to make a meaningful difference; it has thus far relied on Soviet-era tanks.
  • While training on the Abrams will likely begin right away, the BBC reports "the funding process for the tanks themselves means they will not be deployed for months" and "not in time for Russia's anticipated spring offensive," per the AP.
  • They're part of a $400 million package that also includes eight M88 recovery vehicles, which can tow the Abrams if it gets stuck.
  • A logistical detail from the AP: The 70-ton tanks rely on a turbine jet engine that burns a minimum of two gallons a mile regardless of whether they are on the move or idling; as such, a bevy of fuel trucks is required to keep the tanks mobile.
  • Last week, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl described Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's thinking as such: "that we should not be providing the Ukrainians systems they can’t repair, they can’t sustain, and that they, over the long term, can’t afford, because it’s not helpful."
(More Ukraine stories.)

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