Russia and Ukraine flashpoint

[Bofferbrauer2]

Ryuu96 said:

Bofferbrauer2 said:

The US currently have over 2500 Abrams tanks in stock and are working on the A3 variant to come out late this decade. They don't really need more heavy tanks right now (They start producing the M10 Booker light Tank next year to complement and replace the Abrams on lighter units) but certainly don't want to keep the production lines empty, either. Those 30 tanks would certainly help them bridge the production contracts until then, either by directly producing for Ukraine, or by sending them the older versions in stock (M1A1SA and/or M1A2 SEPv2) and replacing them with the SEPv3 variants currently on the production line.

It's a real shame that it couldn't have been largely Leopard 2's though, in the 100s. The Abrams is a great tank but it will be a logistical nightmare for Ukraine and needs a fuel truck following it constantly and staying within reach as it consumes a shit-ton of fuel whether moving or standing still. The fuel trucks won't be able to storm through certain conditions too such as snow or mud.

I don't imagine we will see Abrams storming the frontlines, it will be used in certain situations where the fuel trucks can remain safe, careful and slow movements to destroy a fortified position and then move away for other units to go through, Leopard 2 is more of a storming tank than Abrams is as it doesn't have the same logistical complications.

But we don't have enough Leopard 2's to spare, apparently. So America will have to send more of their thousands of Abrams.

There will be more Leo to come. Production lines were pretty much shut down before the war and are now reopened again, with new models to come, too. This will result in more outdated Leo models getting exchanged for more modern ones (As in, 2A5 and older), so those tanks will progessively get retired and then sent to Ukraine. Norway already started this process, sending some of their 2A4NO and ordering 2A8NO tanks to eventually completely replace the 2A4 fleet of 52 2A4 tanks (out which only 36 were operational) with 54 2A8. It will take some time though, but with all the other tanks Ukraine captured and got during the conflict, I do believe they have some margin before this can become an actual problem. Right now what is much more important are mine-clearing vehicles, tanks are not much used due to the extensive minefields.

Speaking of tanks, do you happen to know more about how's Ukraine's own tank production atm? Are they still producing new tanks or are they focussing on repairing disabled/captured tanks instead right now? As far as I know they were focusing on the T-64 in terms of production until the invasion, but might it not be more prudent over the long term to go T84 instead, specifically the Yatagan variant (or some evolution of it), which comes with a NATO-standard main gun?

Last edited by Bofferbrauer2 - on 26 September 2023