Heavy metal tanks for Ukraine but no depleted uranium

Thousands of Abrams battle tanks are lined up in rows in desert locations in California and Kuwait, ready for battle when the need arises. However, none of them will be going to Ukraine because the Pentagon has decided to buy a new batch of Abrams tanks for Kyiv off the production line at General Dynamics. Moreover, they will be without the most secret components which have made the latest version of Abrams the best-protected and most lethal tank in the world. The tanks held in desert storage are mostly the older-version Abrams M1A1. But the Pentagon contract to General Dynamics is for the more sophisticated M1A2 model, already exported to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Australia and Iraq, and now also being manufactured for Poland, a US defence source said. The 31 brand-new Abrams M1A2 s to be sent to Ukraine will be fitted with Chobham armour, the composite ceramic and steel protective material originally developed in the UK in the 1960s. The highly secret additional layer of depleted uranium fitted to US Army Abrams tanks will not be included. “Weapons and systems the US sends overseas for use by our allies and partners necessarily have certain mitigations in place to prohibit the spilling of classified information or materials or capabilities,” the defence source said. The Abrams tanks bound for Ukraine may also lack the most classified electronic and communications systems fitted to the US Amy’s version. But the export model of the M1A2 has better optics for targeting than the M1A1 and has a sophisticated thermal-imaging system which helps the tank crew commander hunt for enemy tanks in all weather conditions. If the General Dynamics tank-building facility in Lima, Ohio had no other orders, the contract for 31 Abrams M1A2s for Ukraine could be completed in about three months. However, the company is already engaged in building 250 export Abrams M1A2s for Poland and 108 for Taiwan. Ukraine is likely to be third in line, so it could be many months before the Kyiv orders come off the production line. Training, however, could start straightaway. It normally takes 22 weeks for the basic training programme to be completed. But then the Ukrainian tank crews will need to carry out further training once the Abrams have been delivered, including mastering tactical manoeuvres. The US defence source said the main concerns were about the huge logistic tail required to keep the gas-guzzling Abrams running while on the battlefield, including ensuring a constant flow of fuel trucks and also having recovery vehicles if the tanks get stuck in challenging terrain conditions. Eight tracked M-88 Hercules recovery vehicles are being sent with the 31 Abrams tanks. “Fuelling these tanks is incredibly hard. Securing the line of communications that help to keep the fuel flowing and then protecting that fuel when it’s nearby so that the tanks don’t have to leave the fight for too long is brutally difficult,” the source said.