kyiv will receive US M1A2 Abram tanks – the most sophisticated version of this model. However, the 31 promised vehicles will not have the usual armor used by the US military.
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The United States has committed to sending Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine for the first time in its most advanced version, the M1A2 configuration. However, the 31 tanks that will arrive in kyiv will be modified and will not include the “secret” armor that makes this model so deadly, sources familiar with the matter have told Politico.
According to the North American newspaper, federal policy prohibits the export of Abrams that include certain armors with sensitive componentsserving in the US Army. In the case of this model of tanks, the armor includes in particular depleted uranium, one of the sources indicated.
Before selling the tanks to other countries, the US authorities modify the tanks, removing the armor used by the national troops. The same should be the case with supplies destined for Ukraine. For Politico, the sources say that Washington has other armor packages that can be provided to foreign clients.
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Instead of sending own tanks to Ukraine stocks – as it has done with other weapons – the United States has said it will buy the Abrams directly from the military industry. A deadline for the arrival has not yet been defined, but this is one of the factors that should delay the arrival of the weapons.
The US authorities have already admitted that the Abrams will take “several months” to reach Ukrainian territory. For now, the US is going to invest in training the kyiv troops in equipment that they describe as complex and difficult to maintain – this was even one of the arguments presented by Washington to justify the initial refusal to deliver this model, since Tanks like the German Leopard-2 are easier to maneuver.
The Abrams represent a empower significant number of Soviet-era tanks Ukraine currently has at its disposal. During practically eleven months of war, Soviet tanks, like the T-16, were the only models that Western countries were available to supply.
The change in attitude began with a first move by France, which announced the shipment of AMX-10 RC light tanks, followed by the UK’s decision to deliver the Challenger-2. The pressure began to focus on Germany, with several countries committing to send German Leopard-2 tanks, an export that depended on authorization from Berlin.
It’s official. Germany authorizes shipment of 14 Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine
This week, Germany broke the deadlock and announced the delivery of 14 Leopard-2s. Since then, several countries have made themselves available to send the models they have in values. In total, according to the Ukrainian ambassador in France, there are already 321 tanks promised by the allies.
Source: Observadora
