The State Department has agreed to sell 250 Abrams tanks to Poland.
This was announced on Twitter by the Minister of Defense of the Republic Mariusz Blaszczak.
"This is very important news for the security of Poland. The State Department has agreed to sell 250 Abrams tanks in the most modern version of the M1A2 SEPv3," he wrote.
The new tanks will be enough to equip four tank battalions. They will join the new 18th Division in the east of the country. The total amount allocated for the implementation of the tank acquisition program totals 23 billion 300 million zlotys ($6 billion). The program, in addition to the tanks themselves, includes a logistics package, training, infrastructure development and armament.
The M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank is the most modern modification of the Abrams tank, which was first introduced in 2018. Compared to previously developed versions of the combat vehicle, it received a new multi-purpose projectile and improved electronics.
TASS notes that Poland has been developing a program for the purchase of new tanks since 2017. The new tanks should partially replace the 384 T-72 and 232 RT-91 Twardy tanks in service with the Polish armed forces. The Polish army also has 126 Leopard tanks in the 2A4 version and 105 vehicles in the 2A5 version. The Polish government decided to upgrade the old versions of 2A4 to version 2PL. The total amount of this contract is 3.29 billion zlotys ($0.8 billion), and according to the current plan, it should be implemented by 2023.
