https://sputnikglobe.com/20230922/why-abrams-tanks-arrival-may-spell-logistical-nightmare-for-ukrainian-military-1113587131.html
Why Abrams Tanks' Arrival May Spell Logistical Nightmare for Ukrainian Military
Why Abrams Tanks' Arrival May Spell Logistical Nightmare for Ukrainian Military
Sputnik International
While certain maintenance procedures, such as repairing tracks, can be performed in the field, servicing the tank’s engine requires “specialized laboratory conditions,” which is something that Ukraine currently lacks, a Russian military analyst says.
2023-09-22T16:30+0000
2023-09-22T16:30+0000
2023-09-22T16:30+0000
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US President Joe Biden boasted this week that the first shipment of M1 Abrams main battle tanks is going to arrive in Ukraine later this month.The US government has so far pledged to supply Ukraine with some 31 Abrams tanks but it remains to be seen whether this amount will be enough to become some sort of game changer in the conflict.Military analyst and retired Russian Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk also pointed out that this particular shipment is going to create a slew of logistical problems for the Ukrainian forces and their backers.While certain maintenance procedures, such as repairing tracks, can be performed in the field, servicing the tank’s engine requires “specialized laboratory conditions,” which is something that Ukraine currently lacks, Matviychuk said.In order to rectify this problem, the US would have to establish some sort of field repair facilities on Ukrainian soil, even though this matter does not seem to be a priority for them at this time due to the relatively small number of Abrams tanks being shipped, he added.“They are going to ship about 10-15 tanks at first, with the total number of tanks to be shipped being 30. This will require setting up a logistical center, which is going to be expensive,” he noted.Servicing and maintaining an Abrams’ cannon and electronic targeting systems will also require the efforts of a considerable number of skilled personnel, Matviychuk said.The fact that Abrams tanks use jet fuel, which Ukraine does not produce, also poses an additional challenge to military logistics, the analyst observed.The deployment of Abrams tanks in Ukraine would also necessitate providing Ukrainian forces with armored recovery vehicles capable of towing them, mine sweeping and engineering vehicles needed to facilitate the movement of Abrams tank columns, and dedicated armored reconnaissance vehicles, Matviychuk suggested.“Basically, one tank requires about 12 different types of vehicles that would help keep that tank fighting,” he said.All in all, Matviychuk speculated that the Abrams tanks provided to Ukraine will share the fate of the German Leopard tanks whose charred remains recently served as a testament to the failure of Kiev’s “counteroffensive.”According to Matviychuk, the US itself may not be keen to see M1 Abrams tanks destroyed en masse by Russian forces, which would be a serious blow to these tanks’ carefully-constructed image.That, along with the fact that it is unclear exactly how Abrams tanks would fare under the autumn and winter conditions in the conflict zone, raises questions about when exactly Russian troops might come face to face with these tanks, the analyst postulated.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230902/why-abrams-armor-wont-be-able-to-jumpstart-ukraines-stalled-offensive-1113058667.html
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Why Abrams Tanks' Arrival May Spell Logistical Nightmare for Ukrainian Military
As Kiev forces continue to display a remarkable aptitude for getting their soldiers killed while failing to prevail on the battlefield, their Western sponsors continue to pump funds and armaments into the country in the apparent hope of prolonging the conflict as long as possible.
US President Joe Biden boasted this week that the first shipment of
M1 Abrams main battle tanks is going to arrive in Ukraine later this month.
The US government has so far pledged to
supply Ukraine with some 31 Abrams tanks but it remains to be seen whether this amount will be enough to become some sort of game changer in the conflict.
Military analyst and retired Russian Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk also pointed out that this particular shipment is going to create a slew of logistical problems for the Ukrainian forces and their backers.
While certain maintenance procedures, such as repairing tracks, can be performed in the field, servicing the tank’s engine requires “specialized laboratory conditions,” which is something that Ukraine currently lacks, Matviychuk said.
In order to rectify this problem, the US would have to establish some sort of field repair facilities on Ukrainian soil, even though this matter does not seem to be a priority for them at this time due to the relatively small number of Abrams tanks being shipped, he added.
“They are going to ship about 10-15 tanks at first, with the total number of tanks to be shipped being 30. This will require setting up a logistical center, which is going to be expensive,” he noted.
Servicing and maintaining an Abrams’ cannon and electronic targeting systems will also require the efforts of a considerable number of skilled personnel, Matviychuk said.
“Therefore, all of this requires a large number of maintenance personnel. For example, a US tank battalion requires a maintenance battalion of about 500-600 people that must handle the maintenance and repair of the tank battalion’s gear,” he explained.
The fact that Abrams tanks use jet fuel, which Ukraine does not produce, also poses an additional challenge to military logistics, the analyst observed.
The deployment of Abrams tanks in Ukraine would also necessitate providing Ukrainian forces with armored recovery vehicles capable of towing them, mine sweeping and engineering vehicles needed to facilitate the movement of Abrams tank columns, and dedicated armored reconnaissance vehicles, Matviychuk suggested.
“Basically, one tank requires about 12 different types of vehicles that would help keep that tank fighting,” he said.
2 September 2023, 10:30 GMT
All in all, Matviychuk speculated that the Abrams tanks provided to Ukraine will share the fate of the German Leopard tanks whose charred remains recently served as a testament to the failure of Kiev’s “counteroffensive.”
“They will be destroyed or end up breaking down during their first engagement, and Ukrainian soldiers will simply abandon them,” he said.
According to Matviychuk, the US itself may not be keen to see M1 Abrams tanks destroyed en masse by Russian forces, which would be a serious blow to these tanks’ carefully-constructed image.
That, along with the fact that it is unclear exactly how Abrams tanks would fare under the autumn and winter conditions in the conflict zone, raises questions about when exactly Russian troops might come face to face with these tanks, the analyst postulated.
