At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I took some time to explain some of the weapon systems that the US was providing to the Ukrainian military in order to stop the advancing Russian tanks. Weapons such as the Javelin, which is used to attack and destroy Russian armor, and various light armored vehicles, as well as a host of air defense MANPADS, man portable air defense systems. However, in this war, it appears that there’s never enough.
Now, recall that about six months ago, we were told that the battle had evolved into an artillery duel with the Ukraine disadvantaged by only having outdated Soviet-era artillery, which was out-ranged by the more modern Russian artillery. The US and our NATO partners stepped up once again and delivered more advanced artillery pieces as well as the ammunition to fight with them.
The US also supplied the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) and its short-range rocket system.
BUT… it is still not enough!
So, now it appears that we have reached another escalatory milestone in this war. The Ukrainians have been asking the US and NATO for more modern tanks than the old Soviet era tanks that their military is equipped with … to include those the Ukrainians have captured from the Russian army, which were abandoned or have had their combat damage repaired and returned to service.
The NATO side of this “ask” by Zelensky has focused on the German Main Battle Tank (MBT) Leopard II, which has been exported to NATO countries such as Poland.
Up until yesterday, it appeared that Germany’s refusal to allow these exported tanks along with additional tanks from the German Army was a firm NO. So … WHAT CHANGED?
Joe Biden … AGAINST the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, and the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin … has agreed to send up to 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
At the same time, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has given his permission for Poland and Germany to provide the Leopard II MBT. AND … the British have also jumped in and will send some of the more advanced MBT, i.e., the Challenger 2.
All of this is swell --- but here is why sending late model M1’s is not a good idea.
Let’s start by comparing the weight of the Soviet era MBT’s (the T-72) to that of the NATO MBT’s (the Leopard, the Challenger and the M1 Abrams). In general, the T-72 weighs between 40 and 50 tons when fitted out for combat. The NATO Leopard tanks range between 60 and 70 tons when fitted for combat … the Challenger comes in at the same weight as the Leopard … and the Abrams weighs 73 tons when completely armed for war. In Ukraine, weight is a very important consideration.
As the terrain freezes and thaws, quagmires of unforgiving mud are created. Mud so deep that even tracked vehicles cannot maneuver through it.
While weight and terrain are real concerns for a force that depends on the ability to move swiftly and maneuver without hindrance, they only begin to demonstrate the rationale for not giving the Ukrainians the M1 Abrams. The other NATO offers from Germany and the UK are powered by diesel engines
while the Abrams tank is powered by a gas-turbine engine. While Ukrainian soldiers and their mechanics will understand the basics of maintaining a diesel engine, there is little doubt that they will not understand the complexity of a turbine engine.
And while we are on the turbine engine in the M1, it is important to know that the M1 burns fuel at about .6 miles to a gallon. The engines in the Leopard and the Challenger burn fuel at the rate of 1.2 to 1.6 miles per gallon. It does not appear to be much of a difference. However, to a Commander, who is responsible for keeping the fleet supplied with fuel, it is a very significant difference that requires additional fuel trucks beyond those already required to accompany the tanks …
not to mention you first need to have the fuel … something that is reported to be in short supply in Ukraine. You see, a tank that does not get fuel or repair parts to allow it to move is what we Gray Beard Tankers call --- A TARGET!
I am not going to get in the weeds on all of the other hindrances that mitigate against fielding the M1 Abrams in Ukraine. What I will say is that we are not getting the complete story from Biden on this one. No armored force can operate in the field for any amount of time without practiced and rehearsed logistics support. Maintenance points that can follow the tanks and armored vehicles as they maneuver on the battlefield are also required. Vehicles that are ready to dash forward to recover damaged and broken-down equipment so it can be repaired and re-enter the battle are required. These are another expensive vehicle called an M88A2 Vehicle Tank Recovery (VTR).
This is the only vehicle equipped to recover a damaged M1 from the battlefield. If the VTR’s are not fielded with trained crews, the M1’s that are damaged or broken down on the battlefield will be lost.
It’s not clear if we are also going to give the Ukraine the massive fleet of fuel tankers to keep those M1 tanks, all of them, fueled. Establishing refueling points is a maneuver support effort that is practiced constantly by Brigade and Battalion level US forces --- because it is not easy to do. Recall the 40-kilometer-long nightmare the Russians created at the start of the war --- as they ran out of fuel, their crews abandoned their vehicles because if an armored force cannot shoot, move and communicate, it is … as we have already learned … A TARGET!
When it comes to training, you should know that a 19K Armor Crewman on the M1 tank undergoes “One Station Unit Training” from Basic through Advanced Individual Training, which lasts 22 weeks --- and that is when everyone speaks the same language. Learning how to shoot, move and communicate is a complex combination of classroom work and hands-on field training. The field manuals for operation and maintenance of the tank are printed in English! The classroom sessions are in English. The information plates, gauges and displays inside the turret are all in English. Enough said --- you get the picture.
To close this out, it is important to understand that John Kirby, the White House spokesman for the National Security Council, informed us that these tanks will be bought by Ukraine through the Defense Department’s Security Assistance Program. So … now we know that Ukraine will purchase these 31 tanks with US taxpayer money. So…. Congress gives Ukraine billions of dollars and Ukraine turns around and uses those dollars to buy the M1 tank. General Dynamics, the US company that manufactures the tank … well, their stock goes up on the announcement of the purchase, thus resulting in corporate profits for GD. AND, it’s just possible that the Biden Crime Syndicate will profit knowing when this approval was going to be given.
Congressional oversight cannot come too soon!
Also, quick update: They sent the tanks......now Z wants Jets.....duh Time to decide what the real line in the sand is here: I keep thinking of all that military equipment that we have to trot over from Afghanista......oops
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only person who thinks this is a bad idea. But what else can we expect coming from the rudderless White House? Thank you for this great assessment.