The first Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine

Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, has confirmed the arrival of the first batch of American M1A1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine.

This development is the result of efforts by a "tank coalition" consisting of 12 countries working to send the latest Western armored vehicles to Ukraine. In early August, the Pentagon officially approved the delivery of the first batch of M1A1 Abrams tanks to Kiev. The United States plans to supply Ukraine with a total of 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks. The Abrams tanks are part of the 300 tanks promised to Ukraine by Western allies, including Leopard 2 tanks from Spain and Germany, Challenger tanks from the United Kingdom, and Leclerc light tanks from France. Additionally, the latest U.S. aid package includes depleted uranium rounds, significantly enhancing the firepower of the M1 Abrams.

Around 200 Ukrainian military personnel began training to operate such tanks at the Grafenwöhr military base in Germany in May. It was planned that their training would be completed by the time the tanks arrived in Ukraine, so the tank crews would be ready to deploy them on the battlefield.

The M1A1 Abrams is the primary third-generation battle tank produced by the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, who commanded U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The Abrams has been in service with the U.S. Army since 1980 and is still used by Americans in all military operations, undergoing continuous modernization. The U.S. plans to extend the tank's service life until 2050. The M1A1 Abrams is one of the heaviest tanks in modern times, with a combat weight exceeding 60 tons. This tank introduced the use of a computerized fire control system for the first time. The tank is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun with a 40-round ammunition capacity. The effective firing range of the gun with standard ammunition is 3 km. Military experts have noted that the long-range capabilities of the Abrams are comparable to the highly praised and repeatedly demilitarized T-90M "Proryv" in Ukraine, while the corresponding metric for the T-72B3 and T-80 tanks is lower (1.5 - 2.2 km).

Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, announced that Ukraine would not repeat the mistakes of the Russians and would not deploy valuable tanks in a continuous column. Abrams tanks will be used only for carefully planned and prepared operations.

Western tanks have already proven themselves on the battlefield in Ukraine, with their reliability, firepower, and high mobility being key to preserving the lives of Ukrainian military personnel. The presence of Abrams tanks alongside Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 tanks will undoubtedly accelerate the offensive actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the liberation of territories occupied by Russia.

Source: nieuwsimpuls.online