The Pentagon confirmed today, Tuesday, that the United States will deliver advanced “Abrams” combat tanks to Ukraine by the fall, at a much faster pace than expected, and will send “Patriot” air defense systems according to an “accelerated schedule.”
General Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters that Washington had taken, in coordination with Kiev, “a decision to send M1A1 Abrams tanks.”
“This will allow us to significantly accelerate delivery times and deliver these important capabilities to Ukraine by the fall of this year,” he added.
The spokesman confirmed that the tanks would give Ukraine “a capability very similar to the M1A2,” which Washington initially planned to send, but refused to go into details of the differences between the two models.
General Ryder explained that it would have taken more than a year to provide M1A2 tanks.
Ukraine will also receive advanced Patriot air defense systems earlier than planned.
“We are confident that we will be able to deliver the Patriot (systems) on an accelerated schedule,” said Ryder, noting that the Ukrainians are training on the system “faster than expected, given their willingness and enthusiasm to carry out the training.”
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