US President Joe Biden confirmed the shipment of 31 M1 Abrams tanks for Ukraine Joe Biden during a briefing at the White House announced the delivery of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
The US will also hand over eight M88 repair and evacuation armored vehicles. Western countries also plan to transfer hundreds of armored vehicles, including tanks, to Ukraine in the coming weeks. About how the APU will be able to service this difficult-to-operate machine and what Western weapons the Ukrainian army still needs - in the material of military observer Mikhail Khodarenka.
After the delivery of the advanced Patriot anti-aircraft missile system to the APU in December 2022, nothing looked impossible anymore. The United States is no longer afraid of the loss in Ukraine of either critical technologies or symbols of America's military power, personified to a certain extent by the M1 Abrams tank. In fact (and there is every reason to believe so), US President Joe Biden did not refuse Ukraine anything following a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky held on December 21, 2022.
Meanwhile, in the Russian expert community, very controversial conclusions and assessments have sometimes been voiced and continue to be discussed about the supply of American-made main battle tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Some of these opinions are frankly harmful and of a disarmament nature and do not contribute to a correct assessment of the situation, which can subsequently lead to negative consequences.
Image source: Alina Jus/"Newspaper.Ru"
For example, for some reason it is believed that the terrain in Ukraine is not favorable for the combat use of such heavy tanks as M1 Abrams (the car weighs under 70 tons). There is also an opinion that the American MBT in the conditions of a thaw "will get stuck under the very tower." In fact, there is no more suitable terrain for the actions of large armored formations than the steppes of Southern Ukraine. The spring mud will dry up slightly - and it will be possible to drive M1 Abrams even to the left, even to the right, even straight.
There is an opinion that no bridge in Ukraine can withstand the weight of an American tank. In fact, together with the tanks, the armed forces of Ukraine will certainly receive the so-called MTU (bridge tank stackers), TMM (heavy mechanized bridges) and various kinds of pontoon-bridge parks. That is, water barriers will not become any significant obstacles to the advancement of units and units of the Armed Forces equipped with M1 Abrams. And the eastern part of Ukraine is not replete with large water barriers.
For unknown reasons, a number of experts believe that the climatic conditions in Ukraine do not meet the operating standards of the M1 Abrams MBT. In fact, the tactical and technical requirements for the development of almost any type of weapons and military equipment assume its operation at a temperature of plus 50 to minus 50 degrees. And there are no special temperature conditions that prevent the operation and combat use of M1 Abrams in Ukraine simply does not exist.
It is believed that the M1 Abrams tank is difficult to operate and repair, requires highly trained specialists. Let's put it this way - an American car is no more complicated than any other MBT, and Ukrainian calculations will master the tank in a maximum of two weeks (and maybe less). Among other things, M1 Abrams will be transferred along with repair and maintenance facilities. The current repair of American equipment will most likely take place on the territory of Ukraine, and medium and capital repairs will take place in Poland.
And, finally, it is too early to rejoice that the supply of American armored vehicles is still insignificant (and such delight is experienced by some representatives of the expert community in permanent mode). This case is easily fixable. There is every reason to believe that the transfer of tanks from the United States (IFVs, armored personnel carriers) will increase at a Stakhanov pace, and if we take into account other NATO countries (including already designated members of the tank club), the number of armored combat vehicles delivered will reach operational values in a very short time.
As for the supply of American tanks in general (as a phenomenon), in this area, the transfer of armored combat vehicles has overcome another important psychological milestone, and as if it were not the last one.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have only to hand over unmanned reconnaissance and strike aircraft MQ-1C Grey Eagle, tactical ballistic missiles of the MGM-140 ATACMS surface-to-surface class, multifunctional light fighters of the fourth generation General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. It is quite possible that there are already some results and progress on these issues.
Most likely, the latest supplies of Western equipment will allow Ukraine to move to large-scale offensive actions within the next month. The lack of combat aviation during the offensive actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be compensated to a certain extent by the supply of air defense forces and means.
Mikhail Khodarenok
