The Pentagon is accelerating deliveries of Abrams tanks to Ukraine by sending refurbished older models, reducing the time they’ll reach the battlefield from two years to several months, as reported Tuesday.
The Biden administration pledged in January to send 31 recent advanced M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing months of reluctance to supply Kiev with armored vehicles because they’re difficult to operate and maintain.
Nevertheless it would take a 12 months or more to construct and ship the recent tanks.
Officials then decided to use older versions that may be taken from the army’s stockpile, refurbished, and shipped to Ukraine in only eight to ten months.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Tuesday morning that Pentagon officials were trying to discover a way to get the tanks to Ukraine faster than expected.
“We’re working on it. There are just a few changes you may make to this process to speed it up.” Kirby said on MSNBC.
He said the Abrams tanks are “sophisticated” and require 16 weeks of basic training for US troops, while mentioning that a supply chain would want to be established to supply parts and other equipment to keep them running.
The recent timetable implies that the highly maneuverable tanks will not hit the battlefield later this spring, when Ukraine and Russia are due to launch recent offensives.
The 70-ton Abrams tanks are seen as a breakthrough for Kiev in the fierce battles in the plains of the Donbas region, where Ukrainian forces are attempting to retake territory seized by Russia.
US officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, are considering a number of options to speed up deliveries to Ukraine, considering removing some sensitive equipment from the tanks and repositioning the supply line.
While touring a factory in Lima, Ohio, last month, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth met with officials to find ways to shorten the delivery schedule.
“Part of it is determining – amongst the various options – which is the best one which will allow us to deliver the tanks to the Ukrainians as quickly as possible,” without disrupting foreign sales of military equipment, Wormuth said.
General Dynamics Corp. factory builds about 15 to 20 armored vehicles a month, including tanks, and might increase production
But the development of recent tanks for Ukraine would have to be squeezed in between existing sales agreements with Poland and Australia.
With postal wires