The Ukrainian military is expected to start training with M1A1 Abrams tanks “in the next week or so”. This was stated by Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder in an interview with Voice of America.
The training is expected to take place in Germany and last about 10 weeks. During this time, American instructors will teach the Ukrainian military how to drive tanks and manoeuvre in combat, as well as how to maintain the vehicles. The structure of the course will be similar to previous training on Bradley fighting vehicles (Yuri Svitlyk wrote about this equipment in detail here) and Stryker, which were provided to Ukraine earlier this year.
Earlier, Voice of America’s high-ranking sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that about 250 Ukrainians were due to arrive in Germany this week. The military will train on 31 Abrams tanks that were transferred to Germany earlier this month. U.S. officials also said that another shipment of 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks is currently being repaired in the United States and will be delivered to Ukraine by autumn.
With their thick armour and powerful turbine engine, the M1A1 Abrams tanks are far more advanced than the Soviet-era tanks that Ukraine has used since the beginning of the war. In January, the Biden administration announced that it would send Ukraine a newer version of the Abrams tanks, known as the M1A2, once they were procured and built, a process that unfortunately has the potential to take too long. Therefore, in March, the US decided to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with M1A1 Abrams tanks to get the necessary equipment “into the hands of Ukrainians as soon as possible,” as Pat Ryder said at the time.
The news comes as US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is set to hold a regular meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. It will take place on Thursday, and participants from more than 50 countries are likely to discuss ground-based air defence, ammunition requirements and F-16 fighter jet training.
According to Pat Ryder, F-16 training will take place outside of Ukraine at European training grounds, but it could be weeks or months before it starts. “F-16s for Ukraine are a long-term prospect. These F-16s will have nothing to do with the future counter-offensive,” he added.
After months of pleading with Ukraine for Western fighter jets, US President Joe Biden said last week that the US would support joint international efforts to train Ukrainian pilots in modern fighter jets, including the F-16. The news was received with little joy or enthusiasm in Russia.
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