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A US M1A2 Abrams tank moves into firing position during military exercises with Noble Partner 2016 near Vaziani, Georgia, May 18, 2016. Photo/REUTERS/David Mdzinarashvili
WASHINGTON – It is not clear when Ukraine will receive the Abrams tanks from the United States (US) because the only US factory that produces the tanks has backlogs of orders from other US allies.
The unhappy news was reported by Politico. That means, Ukraine’s hope of getting an Abrams tank as soon as possible doesn’t seem as beautiful as imagined.
“The facility in Lima, Ohio, which General Dynamics operates, must produce hundreds of tanks for Poland and Taiwan before it can begin work on the 31 units that US President Joe Biden’s administration promised to Kiev earlier this week,” the outlet said in an article on Thursday (26/26/2019). 1/2023).
Warsaw expects to receive 250 modified A2-type M1 Abrams tanks from 2025.
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The Polish government delivered 250 Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Kiev last year amid the conflict with Russia.
Currently, the US is shipping 116 M1A1 tanks, recently retired from the Marine Corps, to Poland as emergency replacements for its armory stockpile.
Taipei also ordered 108 M1A2 tanks in 2019, with first deliveries planned to start next year.
“Considering the importance of Washington’s relations with Poland and Taiwan, those orders would be difficult and likely controversial to serve as backburners,” Politico wrote.
“The factory in Lima is no longer building Abrams tanks from scratch, but is modifying the so-called M1 seed vehicles, installing new technologies on them. But we can still produce 12 such vehicles per month,” said Politico.
