US President Joe Biden announced the decision to transfer 31 M1 Abrams tanks and necessary spare parts to support tanks on the battlefield to Ukraine.
Biden announced this at a briefing on January 25.
These tanks will form one tank battalion.
The US Department of Defense has long insisted that Abrams tanks are too complex to transfer and use. Now, according to representatives of the Biden administration, they will need additional training both to learn to operate and maintain tanks and to use them in offensive operations with other weapons. This training will take place outside of Ukraine, one of the possible options is the training center in the German city of Grafenwoehr.
Before Bidenʼs statement, Bloomberg journalist Jordan Fabian wrote that the cost of 31 cars is $400 million. Reuters reported that the delivery process could take months. The Washington Post wrote that in addition to the tanks, Ukraine would receive 8 auxiliary vehicles. Most likely, we are talking about M88A2, intended for repair, evacuation and emergency refueling of Abrams.
M88 is an American-made tracked armored repair and evacuation vehicle.
- On January 25, Germany officially agreed to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine and gave permission to other countries to do so.
- On January 4, 2023, France announced the transfer of AMX-10RC light wheeled tanks to Ukraine. The next day it became known that the USA and Germany are preparing for the transfer of M2 Bradley and Marder BMPs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At that time, Western analysts began to write that the agreement of the United States and Germany to transfer infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine opens the way for future deliveries of Abrams and Leopard tanks.