President Trump: America will win in conflicts
President Donald Trump said the US does not want conflict, but if it happens, Washington will win.
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| President Trump speaks in front of tanks on display at the Lima factory on March 20. (Photo: Reuters) |
“America does not need conflict. But you know the story, we come out stronger if there is conflict. So if there is conflict, we will dominate the battlefield, and we will win, win, win. We are prepared to win, win, win,” President Donald Trump said on March 20 while visiting the Lima military tank plant in Ohio.
The Lima plant is where the US Army's main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, is built. During his visit, Mr. Trump announced that the US will invest about 6 billion USD to modernize the M1 Abrams tank over the next 3 years.
"Over the next three years, we will invest more than $6 billion to modernize and repair these tanks… This is nearly twice the amount spent during the previous administration's eight years in office," President Trump said.
President Trump praised the Lima plant, its workers, and the M1 Abrams tank. The White House chief called the tank the “workhorse” of the US infantry force, describing the M1 Abrams as “the most lethal and reliable battle tank in the history of warfare.”
“How do these tanks compare to tanks made in China, Russia and other places? They say (the M1 Abrams) is much better,” Mr. Trump stressed.
Despite President Trump’s high praise, some military experts believe that this is just a hype from the US leader. Experts believe that many modern Chinese and Russian tanks can “surpass” the M1 Abrams.
According to military expert Alexey Leonkov, some new tank models such as China's Type 99 have been equipped with an automatic loading system, while the M1 Abrams still uses manual loading using human power.
In the case of the M1 Abrams, accurately engaging targets depends on how quickly the loader can do his job. If he doesn't do his job well, the entire tank crew won't be able to ensure combat capability.
In addition, upgrading the M1 Abrams also makes the tank heavier than its original weight of 60 tons, thereby affecting the flexibility of the M1 Abrams compared to modern tanks.