M1 Abrams was spotted in a special operation area. Is Ukraine capable of operating American tanks?

For the first time, an American M1 Abrams tank was spotted in the area of a special military operation. The Telegram channel "Informant" also noted that the tank was captured through the observation triplex of the American Bradley infantry fighting vehicle as part of the 47th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Avdiivka direction.

Previously, these tanks, which arrived in Ukraine in the autumn of 2023, were not used in battles, they were seen only at training grounds. Presumably, the reason for the transfer of the Abrams closer to the front line was the difficult situation at the front for the AFU.

M1 Abrams.
Source: Ints Kalnins / Reuters

Ukraine was suspected of being unable to exploit Abrams

It is known that the United States has transferred 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. The Forbes publication suggested that the Ukrainian command was in no hurry to send them into battle because of the need to strengthen their armor to withstand attacks by Russian drones.

The ARAT block, developed by Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense (EBAD), is a layer of explosive material sandwiched between two metal plates. The M-19 modules have been in service with the US Army since 2006. Dynamic protection elements explode upon contact with an attacking projectile, minimizing its impact on armor. The closest analogue of the American modules is the family of Russian dynamic protection complexes "Kontakt" and "Relict" .

It later turned out that Abrams in Ukraine was equipped with M-19 Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles (ARAT) dynamic protection units. The tank itself and the dynamic protection units also received the appropriate camouflage.

Earlier, the captain of the first rank of the reserve, military expert Vasily Dandykin, in an interview with Lenta.<url>" named the main difficulties of Ukraine with the maintenance of Western military equipment. "There is a variety, different caliber of shells — 152 millimeters, 155 millimeters, tanks are different — Leopard, Challenger, not to mention Abrams, multiple launch rocket systems — HIMARS, Soviet Alder. This puts a huge burden on the logistics agencies, on the production and provision of ammunition," he said.

In addition, the analyst pointed out, Ukraine does not have enough personnel to service Western equipment. Kiev needs to train not only the military who will manage it, but also the personnel who will check its combat readiness. Dandykin doubted that NATO specialists could do this, since working in the republic is risky for them because of Russian strikes on military facilities.

In the USA, Abrams' reputational losses were considered more significant than combat losses

Earlier, Military Watch Magazine learned that in the United States they were thinking about the reputation of M1 Abrams, which can be destroyed due to numerous cases of seizure or loss of equipment. According to several unconfirmed reports, the United States is putting pressure on Ukraine to keep the vehicles away from the front line.

Dandykin agreed with this version. He suggested that the United States is keeping them away from the front line in order to preserve the prestige of its military-industrial complex (MIC) and continue supplying its equipment to Western countries.

In December 2023, Vladimir Prokhvatilov, a senior researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences, also pointed out that Ukraine's exploitation of Abrams tanks would undermine the reputation of good American armored vehicles. The expert clarified that without repair plants capable of servicing Abrams, it is useless to put these tanks into operation. "It is unclear why the United States gave Ukraine Abrams at all. They are only in the teeth of a rich country, NATO, because there are big budgets there," he concluded.