Rome, 26 April 2024 – I moneywe know, they are important but it is equally important “spend it well”. Especially when the resources are not infinite and especially at war where having adequate (often very expensive) weapons is essential.
Abrams tanks supplied by the US to Ukraine and not used
Military aid to Ukraine
The US Congress has just given the OK to go further 60 billion dollars of aid for Ukraine. A good portion (around 23 billion) are made up of US weapons to be supplied to Kiev. Having said that, especially in a war scenario that can change from hour to hour, it is not always easy to know immediately which weapons are most suitable, the case of tanks gives pause for thought (at a time of new military aid). Abrams M1A1 supplied a year ago by the USA, at the insistence (as a fundamental weapon to counter the Russian enemy) of Ukraine itself, and costing over 300 million dollars and, now, not used by the Kiev army.
Abrams tanks
In fact, Ukraine has set aside, for now, i 31 Abrams M1A1 tanks supplied by the United States to counter the Russian army. Armored sent to Ukraine in January 2023, after months of insistent Ukrainian pressure. The military leaders in Kiev in fact considered them a weapon, each tank costs around 10 million dollars, they considered them crucial for breaking through enemy lines. The Abrams tanks are in fact vehicles designed to be used also during nuclear, biological and chemical attacks. Means considered “unstoppable” which however now have to deal with the evolution of warfare techniques and in particular with the agile and less expensive ones (even around 50 thousand dollars) drones.
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The Abrams “shelved”
Precisely because of drones it has therefore become more difficult for Ukraine to protect tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian drones or projectiles. Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost due to Russian attacks. There proliferation of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield means that “there is no open terrain that one can cross without fear of being discovered,” a senior US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to update on American support for the Ukraine ahead of today’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.
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Abrams tanks, the deadly US tanks for Ukraine. The differences with the Leopards
New strategies
“For now, the tanks have been moved from the front line and the United States will work with the Ukrainians to restore tactics,” said the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Christopher Grady and a third defense official, confirming the move.
Patriot missiles
The United States is expected to announce today that it will provide another $6 billion in long-term military aid to UkraineUS officials said, adding that these will include long-awaited munitions for air defense systems Patriot. The United States also confirmed for the first time that it is supplying ATACM long-range missileswhich will allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-occupied areas under conditions of less exposure to drone detection or fortified Russian defenses.
