After months of pressure and negotiations, Volodymyr Zelensky’s Ukraine finally received its commitment to supply the long-awaited modern tanks to halt the Russian advance and even re-conquer lost territories. Having to use old Soviet-made vehicles, Kyiv can now rely on latest generation vehicles such as the German Leopard 2, the US Abrams and the British Challengers. The arrival of these tools may be a turning point for the conflict, but it is one that is not just around the corner.
Ukraine will have to wait at least until spring to use new tanks, first of all for logistical reasons related to the difficulties in transporting these vehicles, but also not because the tanks can not be used on the battlefield immediately after delivery. We’re talking about vehicles that are very complex to manoeuvre, like a new car that anyone can start and run. Even the most optimistic estimates say it will take months before the tanks are used in sufficient numbers to make a difference in combat against Vladimir Putin’s army, and in the case of Abrams, it could take more than a year for Kiev to step in. possible to deploy them. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the US will supply Ukraine with the M1A2, an advanced version of the Abrams.
The U.S. “The American does not have any of these extra tanks in our stock,” he said, adding that it “will take months” to “transfer” them to the country. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that the Leopard 2 tanks promised by Germany to Ukraine will arrive in late March or early April. Others, such as those offered by neighboring Poland, may come sooner, but in any case the arrival of the vehicles will not be enough on its own to allow them to be used.
Ukrainian soldiers showed great adaptability and so far used not only their old tanks, but also Soviet-made tanks donated by the Allies, and even Russian ones taken from the enemy. But now they’ll find themselves dealing with machines running advanced software that won’t be that automated and simple to use, especially American Abrams. The operation and maintenance of tanks, their repair and the provision of necessary spare parts require detailed training, from the vehicle crew to the entire logistics system that supports them, hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers from the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
Also for this reason, German tanks are important because they are designed to be flown by conscripted armies like the Ukraine and have simpler handling than the Abrams and Challengers used by professional volunteer forces in the US and UK. . Spare parts are also easier to procure, while American Abrams’s will have to come from the United States, which will have to ship to Ukraine each time, or perhaps store the parts in Poland. Vehicles.
Mark Hertling, a CNN military analyst who formerly commanded the US Army’s 1st Armored Division, stressed precisely that keeping tanks combat-ready means training not only their crews, but also everyone who supports them in the supply chain. “‘Give them those goddamn tanks!’ has probably never seen the choreography that would make them work on the battlefield,” he added on Twitter. .
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
