Despite Ukraine’s requests, the US will not be sending M1 Abrams main battle tanks, according to anonymous officials cited by The Washington Post.
The heavy fuel consumption and high breakdown rate of the Abrams make it unsuitable for the Ukrainian military, the officials said.
The M1 Abrams, one of the heaviest main battle tanks in the world, weighs 60 tons and the latest M1A2 variant weighs over 73 tons.
In 1991, a Government Accountability Office report stated that an M1 Abrams tank costs over $450 per mile in fuel and repairs, adjusted for inflation.
The report also noted the poor reliability of the Abrams, with tracks needing to be replaced after as little as 710 miles and engines suffering “blowouts” after 350 hours of operation.
However, the US Army claims that the latest M1A2 variant, produced in 2020, is “the most reliable Abrams tank ever produced.”
Ukraine has repeatedly requested the American tanks, seeing them as crucial to their war efforts.
In December, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s advisor, Mikhail Podoliak, included them on his “Christmas wishlist,” and Zelensky himself has repeatedly asked the US and its allies for tanks since March.
Joe Biden said on Wednesday that the transfer of an unspecified number of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, tracked and armored vehicles designed to transport infantry with firepower support, is being discussed in the White House.
