The decision comes as defense leaders from across Europe and the world gather at Ramstein Air Base, as part of ongoing efforts to coordinate the delivery of weapons and other equipment to Ukraine.
What is the scenario of training Ukrainian forces on Abrams tanks?
- According to the officials, 31 tanks will arrive at the Grafnohr training area in Germany at the end of May, and the troops will start training two weeks later.
- Officials said the training of the troops would last about 10 weeks.
- Training tanks will not be the tanks given to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia. Instead, 31 M1A1 battle tanks are being refurbished in the US, and these tanks will go to the front lines when ready.
- The goal was to train the troops by the time the refurbished tanks were ready so that they could move immediately into combat. Tanks are being re-equipped for the needs of Ukraine.
- According to officials, about 250 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained – some learning to operate tanks while others learning to repair and maintain them.
- Additional training on how to fight and maneuver tanks can also be provided after the first 10 weeks.
What is the story of the American political maneuvering in Ukraine?
- Last January, President Joe Biden’s administration announced that it would send Abrams tanks to Ukraine – after insisting for months that they were too complex and difficult to maintain and repair.
- The decision was part of a broader political maneuver that opened the door for Germany to announce that it would send its Leopard 2 tanks into Ukraine and allow Poland and other allies to do the same.
- Under intense pressure from Ukraine and others to get the tanks into Ukraine faster, the Biden administration announced last month that it would speed up deliveries of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send an older, refurbished model that could be ready faster.
- The goal is to get the 70-ton combat powerhouses into the war zone by fall.
- The United States also made it clear at the time that it would begin training Ukrainian forces on how to use, maintain, and repair tanks and that the instruction would coincide with the renewal of the tanks, so that they would both be ready for battle at the same time later this year.
- At the same time, the Pentagon must ensure that Ukrainian forces have a proper supply chain for all the parts needed to keep the tanks operational.
Russian and Ukrainian forces have been largely at a stalemate, competing for small chunks of territory through the winter. The fiercest fighting took place in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of a stubborn Ukrainian defense, but both sides are expected to launch more intense offensives in the spring.
And the British Ministry of Defense announced, Friday, in its daily assessment of the war that the muddy terrain in most of Ukraine is likely to slow the operations of both sides.
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