Politico: US Abrams tanks to arrive in Ukraine in September after removing 'sensitive' technology

According to RT, on July 27, Politico reported that the US plans to deliver the first batch of Abrams heavy tanks around September, so that these vehicles can participate in the ongoing counter-offensive in Ukraine. The Pentagon had previously estimated that the tanks would be deployed “around the fall.”

The source, citing unnamed officials familiar with the discussions, said the first “few” tanks would be sent to Germany in August for “final refurbishment” before being shipped to Ukraine in September.

Six to eight tanks will be included in the initial delivery, according to a US congressional aide and a defense industry official. The US has committed to providing a total of 31 tanks, or the equivalent of a Ukrainian battalion.

US President Joe Biden promised to deliver Abrams tanks in January this year, reportedly to push Germany to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev. While more than a dozen Leopards have been destroyed in fierce fighting, the US tanks have yet to see combat.

Ukrainian tank crews are currently learning how to operate Abrams tanks at a U.S. Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany. A Pentagon official said the 10-week training will end in August.

According to RT, the Pentagon initially planned to use the more modern M1A2 tank model, but changed plans in March, opting for the older M1A1. First, these tanks need to be refurbished, including removing “sensitive” technology that the US fears could be captured by Russia, from fire control systems to depleted uranium armor.

Washington is now working with NATO allies to establish “heavy maintenance repair facilities, particularly for combat damage,” to repair the Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles that have been delivered to Kiev. About half of the 190 Bradleys promised have been delivered to Ukraine, but many have been destroyed in the fighting, with the Ukrainian military reportedly “scraping” damaged vehicles for spare parts.

The US and its allies have sent Ukraine more than $100 billion worth of weapons, ammunition and equipment since the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022, while insisting they are not really a party to the conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly said that Western arms deliveries will not change the course of the conflict, stressing that NATO-supplied tanks will “burn up” on the battlefield. Russia also argues that military aid to Kiev effectively brings NATO directly into the conflict.

Before Biden’s announcement in January, Western tank shipments consisted largely of Polish, Czech, and Slovak T-72s. Kiev has since received a handful of German-made Leopard 1 and 2 tanks and about 14 British Challenger 2s that have yet to see combat. At more than 60 tons, both tanks are significantly heavier than Ukraine’s original fleet of T-64s and T-72s.

Meanwhile, the 70-ton, gas-turbine-powered Abrams tank was developed in the 1970s and first saw combat in the 1991 Gulf War. Since then, stripped-down export versions of the tank have been supplied to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq and Australia.