M1A1 Abrams tanks are very important for Ukraine. They are modern, powerful and very well-protected. The US has provided Ukraine with 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks that were formerly used by the Marine Corps. These are extremely capable machines. However, the defenders of Ukraine have already lost at least three such main battle tanks.
American M1A1 Abrams tank on its way to Ukraine. Image credit: Wikimedia
Forbes analyzed how Ukraine lost three American Abrams tanks. This is important to understand, because Ukraine is hoping to get a new batch of these tanks in the future. As the US is struggling to come up with funding for weapons for Ukraine, this may take a while.
But initially, the US has pledged M1A2 tanks, which are newer and better. However, it was decided to send the M1A1 variant instead, because these tanks were in stock as the Marine Corps stopped using main battle tanks altogether.
The Abrams is an incredible asset to have. Yes, it is complicated and expensive to maintain, but it is an incredible weapon. However, the defenders of Ukraine lost at least a few of their Abrams tanks.
Reported as the first M1A1 Abrams tank supplied by the US to Ukraine, at least damaged, in the Avdiivka direction. pic.twitter.com/oZiVhI7m5r
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 26, 2024
The first Ukrainian Abrams was attacked by a kamikaze-style drone in February or a little earlier. A fire in the ammunition compartment broke out and destroyed the tank. Drones are pretty much the main anti-tank weapons in this war and both sides use them expensively. However, Abrams tanks do have very good protection and they are more afraid of regular anti-tank missiles.
The second and third Abrams tanks that were lost in combat in Ukraine were defeated by Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank missile attacks. These missiles have a tandem warhead: the first penetrates the armour and the second explodes inside the tank completely destroying it. The Kornet systems are quite common, in service since 1998.
Forbes considers Russian anti-tank missiles to be the main, but not the only, threat to Abrams tanks in Ukraine. However, the biggest weakness is not the armour of the tanks, but the way they are being used. Good tactics could help the defenders of Ukraine save their tanks to fight again tomorrow.
Due to a desperate shortage of artillery shells, the 47th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, the only user of the Abrams in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is forced to use its tanks in very close combat. As a result, these tanks were lost, because they came into the range of Russian anti-tank missiles. These tanks went into an unprepared battlefield without proper artillery support and met the positions of Kornet missiles there. In other words, even Abrams losses are the result of a lack of artillery shells.
This is both good and bad news. On one hand, the defenders of Ukraine soon will have a lot more artillery shells. But on the other hand, Ukraine needs more tanks and the threat of Russian anti-tank weaponry is only going to increase as they learn the vulnerabilities of the Western armour.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Strana.today, Wikipedia