National Defense

US To Begin Abrams Tank Training For Ukrainian Troops

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The U.S. has made plans to begin training Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain the M1 Abrams battle tank within weeks as the U.S. seeks to shorten the timeline in which U.S.-made tanks become operational on the battlefield, The Associated Press reported, citing U.S. officials.

In March, the Pentagon scrapped plans to send brand-new M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting instead to deliver a refurbished older version in an attempt to get U.S. tanks on the battlefield in eight to 10 months. Training will take place in Germany on 31 tanks scheduled to arrive at the Grafenwoehr Training Area by the end of May, with training to start shortly afterward and last about 10 weeks, the officials told the AP.

Meanwhile, 31 M1A1 main battle tanks are undergoing refurbishment in the U.S. and will arrive on the Ukrainian frontlines when they are complete, according to the AP. The goal, officials said, is to have training completed by the time tanks fitted to Kyiv’s specific needs arrive in country for immediate deployment.

The training tanks are separate from the 31 ultimately destined for combat in Ukraine, the officials told the AP.

The first 10 weeks of training will involve 250 troops split between operational and maintenance divisions, the AP reported, citing the officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly released. Optional training could become available afterward on fighting and maneuvering techniques.

The Biden administration approved a delivery of 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks  — considered the size of one Ukrainian tank brigade — for Ukraine in the more advanced, expensive A2 configuration in January, part of a political maneuver to convince Berlin to greenlight transfer of German Leopard 2 tanks. The Department of Defense reportedly opposed sending U.S.-made tanks, arguing that the massive energy consumption of the 70-ton battle monsters and initial costs of establishing specialized supply chains outweighed the potential benefit to Ukraine.

Facing pressure from Kyiv to hasten the deployment of Abrams on the battlefield, however, Pentagon officials planned to pull from Army reserves of M1A1 tanks, an older, less sophisticated version that Ukrainian troops will find easier to learn and operate, according to the AP. Initial plans to order 31 new Abrams directly from industry would require up to two years to build and deliver to Ukraine, as the Pentagon said it lacked available tanks to draw directly from existing stockpiles.

If all goes according to plan, the tanks will enter operation by the fall of 2023, the AP reported.

Ukrainian officials announced Wednesday a U.S. Patriot air defense missile system had arrived in Ukraine, according to the AP. Troops wrapped up roughly 10 weeks of training on the advanced weapon at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in late March, according to Politico.