In reversal, US poised to approve Abrams tanks for Ukraine | AP News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON (AP) — In what would be a reversal, the Biden administration is poised to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as international reluctance to send tanks to the battlefront against the Russians begins to erode. A decision to send a bit more than 30 tanks could be announced as soon as Wednesday, though it could take months for the tanks to be delivered.
U.S. officials said details are still being worked out. One official said the tanks would be bought under an upcoming Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, which provides longer-range funding for weapons and equipment to be purchased from commercial vendors.
The U.S. announcement is expected in coordination with an announcement by Germany that it will approve Poland's request to transfer German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, according to one official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been made public.
By agreeing to send the Abrams at an as-yet unspecified time under the assistance initiative, the administration is able to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's demand for an American commitment without having to send the tanks immediately.
Much of the aid sent so far in the 11-month-old war has been through a separate program drawing on Pentagon stocks to get weapons more quickly to Ukraine. But even under that program, it would take months to get tanks to Ukraine and to get Ukrainian forces trained on them. It wasn't clear Tuesday how soon the U.S. will start training Ukrainian troops on the Abrams and roughly how soon they can get to the battlefront.
Until now, the U.S. has resisted providing its own M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, citing extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the high-tech vehicles. Washington believes it would be more productive to send German Leopards since many allies have them and Ukrainian troops would need less training than on the more difficult Abrams.
Just last week, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told reporters that the Abrams is a complicated, expensive, difficult to maintain and hard to train on piece of equipment. One thing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been very focused on, he said, "is that we should not be providing the Ukrainians systems they can't repair, they can't sustain, and that they, over the long term, can't afford, because it's not helpful."
A U.S. official familiar with White House thinking said the administration's initial hesitancy was based on concerns about the requisite training and the sustainment of the tanks. The official added that the administration believes that such plans are now in place, but it could take time to implement them.
At the Pentagon, spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said he had nothing to announce on any U.S. decision regarding Abrams tanks. But he said, "anytime that we've provided Ukraine with a type of system, we've provided the training and sustainment capabilities with that."
The administration's reversal comes just days after a coalition of more than 50 senior defense officials from Europe and beyond met in Germany to discuss Ukraine's war needs, and battle tanks were a prime topic.
Ukrainian leaders have been urgently requesting tanks, but Germany had resisted mounting pressure either to supply its own tanks or clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to send the German-made tanks from their own stocks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the deployment of Western tanks would trigger "unambiguously negative" consequences.
Defense leaders from the countries that have Leopard 2 tanks met with the Germans during the Friday conference at Ramstein Air Base in an effort to hammer out an agreement.
On Sunday, Berlin indicated it wouldn't stand in the way if other countries wanted to send the Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv. Germany needs to agree for the tanks to be given to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO.
U.S. and German officials have given mixed signals about whether the U.S. and German decisions are linked, and whether Berlin was hesitant to send its tanks unless the U.S. sent Abrams.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak said Tuesday that Poland has officially requested permission from Germany to transfer its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
German officials confirmed to the dpa news agency they had received the application and said it would be assessed "with due urgency." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday that Berlin wouldn't seek to stop Poland from providing the high-tech armor to Kyiv.
German officials declined to comment on the reports of a tank deal. The news weekly Der Spiegel reported Tuesday, without citing a source, that Germany will provide Ukraine with at least one company of Leopard 2 tanks from its own army's stock. A company comprises 15 tanks.
Scholz is due to deliver an address to parliament Wednesday and field questions from lawmakers, many of whom have been pressing the government to join allies in providing the tanks to Ukraine.
Lawmakers in Congress have also been pushing the U.S. to beef up its aid to Ukraine.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday "it's time, past time" for the Biden administration and allies to send more military aid to Ukraine, and that the U.S. must provide more tanks and weapons to help Ukraine "win this war."
"It's time, past time, for the Biden administration and our allies to get serious about helping Ukraine finish the job and retake their country."
The likely plans to send the Abrams were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
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Maybe it's time to ask everyone if theyve built their fallout shelter yet? The next time a Russian nuclear sub wanders into American waters, its captain won't be Theodore Bikel or Sean Connery. .
Given the Russian Navy seems to be run the same way the Russian Army; chances are it would sink with all hands on board off the US coast before even firing a shot.
But I will agree with you on the US repeatedly poking the Russian Bear.
If Putin is as weak and vulnerable as the so called experts like to claim he is; then he very easily could end the planet if his very limited goals in Ukraine become unobtainable.
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LOL!
No, I'm not going to the trouble. I want to be taken out at the first blast.
Lol I doubt any blast is much of a concern in Maine
Exactly, I don’t want to go in the first salvo. I want to read the comments of survivors here before deporting.
Nuclear winter would probably be good for lobster.
Mmmm nuclear lobster with butter sauce. You're probably they are bottom feeders after all
I kinda want to live and fight zombies.
I had a blast in Maine. There is a great dispensary there with outstanding weed.
If you add a grain of Plutonium to your lobster pot, they will shed their shells and provide a delicious last meal.
Arvo al...ahh you have got to live dangerously...I just came back from a swim with a 2.5 metre great white..(he is just a little tacker)...
He is sloshing around the bay after two dead whales where I go swimming...he did chomp on a boat engine probably teething!!
Wonder what a touch of plutonium would do to him..
Holy shit!
This is why Jaws wasn't filmed in Australia:
Eh, I just worry about them land sharks. They knock on your door and try to trick you.
Oh, don'y worry "land sharks" are just a myth.
Lol I with you for regular zombies but nuclearated ones are much more dangerous.
I will say again what I have said since the start of this war. Either give them what they need to win or give them nothing and let them lose with the minimum loss of life and infrastructure. The piecemeal approach is good for no one. Not Russia, not Ukraine, not Europe and not the US.
On one aspect I beg to differ with you. It's heaven on earth for the arms industry.
With the high level of maintenance the M1 requires, I see most of these being broken within a few weeks.
I don't envy the US soldiers that will be forced to train the Ukraine military that is used to operating Russian tanks. The learning curve is going to be ridiculous.
The training for US Soldiers is 5 weeks. In that they learn tank operations, armor offensive and defensive tactics, field combat strategy, and map reading. I don't think 5 weeks will be enough to train the Ukraine military on just the use of the M1.
The training for the mechanics of the M1 is 24 weeks. It's almost a given this training won't be given. Like I said, these will be broken down in a matter of weeks.
Do you envy the Russians who will be killed by the Ukrainians?
WTF does that have to do with what Ronin and I are talking about?
The article is about the US sending tanks to Ukrainians to kill damned Russian invaders. What are you and Ronin discussing?
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Yes and then he will go into a tank that has at least two experienced tankers. Training will be very challenging. The Leopard is far more suitable both from a training perspective and maintainability. It also is more appropriate for dismounts hugging the the rear, it gets really hot behind the M-1.
and as a diesel already operated in almost every NATO country, transportation of the Leopard to the Ukraine will be infinitely easier and quicker.
Even US tank commanders in Germany cross trained on the Leopard2 praised them.
Better optics, better audio, equally lethal as the M1, regular diesel fuel compared to the
jet grade fuel specific to the M1 are all advantages.
Poland currently has over 300 Abrams on order from the US as well as 189 K2 MBT from S. Korea the first of which arrived in Poland in Nov/Dec 2022.
Poland has around 250 Leopard 2 tanks and it looks like they are being replaced with the Abrams and K2.
Yes, the Leopard 2 is great tank and more suitable for their mission for multiple reasons.
I was reading some articles that said the Abrams can use any fuel, not just jet fuel. Gasoline, diesel, kerosene etc, and the Australia military is using diesel in their Abrams.
I'm trying to find more informative on this.
Personally I don't give a damn about the Russian soldiers that will be killed by those tanks. They have no business being where they are. They have the choice to either surrender or die.
Jet engines can use any type of fuel that you can spray fine enough throu a nozzle. If you could powder coal fine enough it would work.
Here is a link to an excellent article on how the M1 works and yes, it can use any type of fuel.
Tanks for the memories, Kavika.
More modern Leopards fitted with a 50 cal require a crew member to expose himself to use the weapon.
The major edge goes to the M1series firing depleted uranium.
But since most of the cannons are compatible if not identical Rhinelaner M256
there's nothing to stop the Ukrainians from acquiring DU rounds for the Leopards,
right?
I am sure they aren't as squeamish as the Germans when it comes to anything nuclear.
The Russians have every reason to be worried.
Yes.
Yes.
As JRINC stated.
How many Russians will be killed before the M1 tanks break down; and have to be taken back to Poland to have the US military repair?
This is going to be ridiculously expensive for US taxpayers. While you might not care some of us do.
Why don't you ask our supposed European allies where the fuck are they with sending military hardware, munitions, logistics, or even just money to Ukraine? Germany will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine- but that will take 3 months.
.
So 31 Abrams and how many ever Leopard 2 tanks Germany can scrape together and get battle ready. Considering the state of the German military just how many do you think they will send?
Just how much is it going to cost the US taxpayer to prop up the pro fascist corrupt Ukraine government?
Keep feeding the Ukrainian pig. I am sure none of are hard earned tax payer money will make it's way back into our politicians', their children's, or close friends' hands./S
The costs of US assistance to Ukraine? Tens of billions!
Whipping Putin and killing Russian invaders? Priceless!
I believe that sending the M1 to Ukraine is for show purposes to prod the Germans into sending the Leopard and allowing other countries to send theirs. IE, Poland, Spain, Finland, Denmark, etc. and it worked.
The two variants of the Leopard the 44 and 55 are being sent to Ukraine with the 55 in lesser numbers but a ''super Leopard'' tank.
Jeremy the US is currently training the Ukraine army in combined arms in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
The Ukrainians have proven that they are very adaptive in using new weapons provided by the west and also in inventing some of their own in the middle of a brutal war. The Russians underestimated Ukraine as have the west to a degree. What we have seen over the past year is no matter how brutal the Russians are Ukraine has destroyed a good part of the Russian army with a mishmash of weapons and the Russians are now relying on the Wagner Group to do most of the fighting.
What happened to the tanks that have already been supplied to Ukraine? Ukraine has received more than 200 T-72 tanks from various NATO arsenals. And Ukrainians have been capturing munitions that are compatible with the T-72 guns.
It seems that the emphasis has been to replace manpower with technology. Training on the technology takes manpower away from the battlefield. And the real training doesn't begin until the equipment is in the field. Ukraine doesn't have the luxury of blending new trainees into experienced units.
Zelensky has been demanding a gradual escalation in fighting technology. That doesn't bode well for future conduct of the war. Why not cut to the chase and deliver nukes? That is what Ukrainians really want, after all.
Pretty sure that the rest of the world would rather avoid a nuclear WWIII.
Avoiding World War III would require diplomacy. Where are the diplomats?
Winning a conventional war in Ukraine depends entirely upon Russian nuclear restraint. Wars aren't avoided by supplying more weapons and escalating the fighting.
Where are the F-16s?
In the countries still waiting for their F35s.
Word is that the F16 training program is already in place
US estimates are 6 months to train pilots 18 to train mechanics.
The Ukrainians say 6 weeks for pilots, mechanics in Ukraine learn on the job.
Three days after the Russian invasion there was a report that the Dutch sent four squadrons of F-16s to Romania. No news after that. A year has passed.
In August of 2022, tiny North Macedonia turned over four SU 25s fighter jets to Ukraine and a number of T 72 battle tanks.
North Macedonia is a NATO member and has a population of two million but is stratigic located in the Balkans.
Can I please have an M-1 Abrams Tank?
They are a fucking blast!
I don’t think that you can afford one or the upkeep.
Gotta love a tank that could win an arctic drifting contest.
I get that this was a way to get the German tanks into battle, but if we are going to be seriously sending M1s in then we better be prepared to help with the maintenance. The M1 is an amazing tank, but it takes a lot of work to keep it going.