Western-made heavy equipment will not change the strategic situation on the fronts of its own, experts sayDelivery of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian side will take months.
The decision to deliver heavy armored vehicles was announced personally by US President Joe Biden on January 25. On the same day, the German government gave the go-ahead to send German Leopard 2A6 tanks to Kiev. Many European countries are ready to share their equipment with the APU. Experts note that these deliveries are unlikely to lead to a strategic turning point — the machines are not very adapted to work in the Eastern European theater of operations and are in many ways inferior to the Russian T-90M.
The decision has been made
On January 25, US President Joe Biden announced his decision to deliver 31 M1 Abrams cars to Ukraine. He called them the most efficient tanks in the world. According to Biden, the Ukrainian forces are preparing for a counteroffensive. At the same time, the American leader said that the actions of the West in the context of Ukraine do not pose a threat to Russia.
The White House clarified that it would take months to deliver the Abrams. Eight repair and evacuation vehicles will also be sent to Kiev to service the equipment.
Challenger 2 tank of the British Armed Forces at the Hohenfels training ground in Germany
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Earlier in the day, the German government announced its decision to transfer tanks to Ukraine. According to the official representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Germany Steffen Hebestreit, at the first stage Kiev will receive a company of 14 Leopard 2A6 vehicles from the reserves of the Bundeswehr. In total, Berlin plans to transfer equipment to two tank battalions. In addition, Germany intends to grant permission for the supply of German tanks to Ukraine to countries that plan to ship vehicles from their stocks.
Various European countries have previously expressed their willingness to hand over their "Leopards". Germany, the Netherlands and Poland can supply 14 tanks each, up to 40 Spain, 10 Finland, eight Norway. The United Kingdom is ready to transfer 14 British Challenger cars.
Made in the USA
Washington did not specify which modification of the famous "Abrams" will be sent to Ukraine. According to military expert Andrey Frolov, one of two options is possible: M1A1 with a 105 mm cannon or M1A2 with a 120 mm cannon.
— The latter option has various modification options aimed at strengthening armor protection, improving the sighting system, combat information and control system. Obviously, the latest modifications will not be given to Ukrainians," the expert believes. — We are talking either about the remaining M1A1 tanks, or about early modifications of the M1A2. By the way, they supplied the M1A1 to Iraq, so it is quite possible that they still have such cars.
M1A1 Abrams tanks parked in the protected area of the Besmaya Combat Training Center, Iraq
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Abrams is a well—protected machine. The 105-mm gun of the first version of the tank penetrates the early modifications of the Russian T-72, T-62.
— They are no longer very good against the T-90M, it has improved protection, a more powerful gun and a more advanced sighting system, — Andrei Frolov explained. — I think that's why they fussed with the supply of tanks, because the T-90M went to the troops en masse. For the Eastern European theater, especially for the spring and autumn period, "Abrams" are very heavy machines. They have more restrictions on patency than the same T-72. Accordingly, they need pontoon parks, armored repair and evacuation vehicles.
The expert recalled that Abrams has a completely different fuel consumption. This will be an additional burden for the VFU supply system. They are also more difficult to maintain. Accordingly, it is necessary to have both trained people and a material base. Or to take cars for repairs to NATO countries.
M1A2 Abrams tanks on railway platforms in Germany
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The commander of the tank company of the 1st Army Corps with the call sign "Dentist" shared his opinion on how difficult it will be to resist American tanks.
"The car is heavy, it doesn't like dirt," he told Izvestia. — With Ukrainian crews, if the Americans do not throw their tankers into battle, the new vehicles will be able to go to the front no earlier than in six months, taking into account the training time of the crews. In addition, it is known that the Abrams gas turbine engine does not like dust, there are inappropriate filters there, this problem has already manifested itself in past conflicts. Therefore, the "Abrams" will not change anything.
By the way of the "Leopard"
Leopard 2A6 is the most modern modification of the tank, which is in service with the Bundeswehr. However, these vehicles also have weaknesses, Sergey Suvorov, an expert in the field of armored vehicles, told Izvestia.
— The world has not yet come up with the perfect tank, — he noted. — The German tankers told me that the Leopard-2 ended on the A4 modification. And all that comes next is unnecessary problems. Including with the chassis and electronics, which does not have the best effect on the reliability of the car in field conditions.
During the clash of the Russian T-90 with German vehicles, everything will be decided by the coherence and training of the crews.
— Cars from Germany are burning, like all tanks, — Sergey Suvorov emphasized. — The dimensions of the Leopard 2 are much larger than those of the T-90. This means that the probability of hitting our car under comparable conditions is lower than that of the "German". In terms of security, they are approximately equal. But the German car has no dynamic protection. For this reason, it is more vulnerable to anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and grenade launchers. In Syria, Kurds from 20 Leopard 2A4 instantly burned 10 cars with grenade launchers. A foreign car is not always cooler. The T-90M "Breakthrough", I think, is better than the German car.
Leopard 2A6 tanks at the Grafenwer training ground in Germany during exercises
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
According to the expert, the German car should have a lower rate of fire.
— In our tanks, the projectile is loaded by a machine gun, and they have a man, — said Sergey Suvorov. — It is not easy to carry 23-25 kg shells weighing. People get tired.
Ukraine has already held exercises with German Leopard 2 tanks in the early 2000s.
— They found out that these combat vehicles do not tolerate chernozem well, — the expert recalled. — Their transmission started to crumble. A week later, most of the cars got up. It is quite simple to master driving and shooting, but it is difficult to ensure the operation of the tank. There will be problems with maintenance — you need special equipment and specialists.
The tank will also need good fuel, but in the current situation it will not be so easy to provide them with cars, the specialist added.
Bundeswehr soldiers change track tracks on Leopard 2A6 tank
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The mass of the tank seriously exceeds 60 tons, and for this reason not all bridges on the territory of the former USSR are suitable for them, many of which are designed for equipment up to 50 tons.
Strategically, the supply of Western tanks will not affect the situation on the fronts, military expert Alexei Leonkov believes.
— There are no tank duels in the open field, where they measure their characteristics, — he said. — Combined arms combat is a set of weapons systems, including anti—tank, which are used on both sides. They can be both ground-based and air-based. Against the tanks that will come to the battlefield, many weapons systems will work, for which they are most likely not ready.
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| Delivery of tanks to Ukraine. |
| Source: iz.ru |
An important factor is who will sit inside these tanks, the expert said.
— Ukrainian crews, who, according to Ukrainian propaganda, underwent long-term training, or Polish, Finnish, maybe even German crews. This is very important on the battlefield: if you have an experienced crew, the survivability of the tank increases," he explained.
M1A1 Abrams destroyed in Iraq
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Tanks need air cover, and with this, too, problems may arise in Ukraine, Leonkov added.
— The very fact of the delivery of Western armored vehicles is alarming, — military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told Izvestia. — They have good firepower — that British "Challengers", that "Leopards", that "Abrams". But their protection does not meet modern requirements. Therefore, you can beat them both in the forehead and in the side.
According to the expert, in the central European theater of operations, to which Ukraine belongs, the line of sight range is 500 m in most of the territory. This means that tanks can be hit from any side with a grenade launcher: both from the flanks and from the rear.
Izvestia Reference
Leopard 2A6 is one of the latest modifications of the Leopard 2 main battle tank. It has a mass of 62 tons, develops a maximum speed of up to 72 km / h. The engine power is 1500 hp. The car received an additional reservation in the frontal and side projections, an armament stabilizer, a thermal imager. The tank is armed with a 120 mm cannon and two 7.62 mm machine guns. The maximum speed is 72 km/h, the power reserve on the highway is 500 km. The crew is four people.
The M1A2 Abrams and its modifications are the main battle tank of the US Armed Forces. Weight 63 tons, maximum speed 67 km/h, power reserve 425 km. Engine power 1500 hp Thermal imagers, an IVIS combat information and control system, enhanced protection in the frontal projection, including with the use of uranium armor, are installed on the tank. Armament — 120 mm cannon, 12.7 mm machine gun and two 7.62 mm machine guns. The crew is four people.
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
