This is what Brandon said when announcing the U.S. was sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine at a cost of about $310 million
(NBC News) Sending the tanks will “enhance Ukraine’s capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives” because they are “the most capable tanks in the world,” Biden said.
“That’s what this is about — helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia, there is no offensive threat to Russia,” the president said.
Yes, they can be used for defense. They should be used for charging in and destroying Russian assets that are attacking Ukraine. Zelensky was demanding them. He lauded when they were allocated and arrived. How’s that working out?
US Abrams tanks failing in Ukraine as Russia mocks them as ‘empty tin cans’
America’s Abrams tanks are failing on the battlefield in Ukraine as Russia has labelled them “empty tin cans”.
The US donated 31 Abrams to Ukraine last year in a move heralded as a potential game changer for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
Ukraine had been complaining that its old soviet-era tanks were getting stuck in mud, not firing and constantly breaking down. But the superior US models appear to be faring little better in practice.
Speaking to CNN, Ukrainian crews working on the tanks say the Abram M1s are not as robust as touted. “Its armour is not sufficient for this moment,” said one crew member with the callsign Joker.
“It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is the war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit them.”
So, we just pissed away at least $310 million for the tanks, plus training, shipping, and rounds. One problem is that the normal armor is removed
The tanks usually come equipped with “secret” uranium armour, but the US donated modified versions with Chobham armour, the composite ceramic and steel protective material developed in Britain in the 1960s. The move was likely made out of fears the uranium armour could end up in Russian hands.
But, they would still be in danger from above even with the uranium armour, due to the use of drones.
Even CNN has noticed that the tanks, which Biden was so excited to send over due to Zelensky’s demands, are mostly useless. As one of the people in the comments say
I am also an ex-tanker on the M1A1. The warfare in Ukraine really isn’t for the tank. Tanks are built more for open land spearheading with air support. When we did training in Hohenfels which is probably similar to Ukraine. When we went against OP4 seldom did tank units did well. When tanks are confined to trails or roads and not in open areas such as big fields and deserts, they are easy prey to be picked off by anti-tank units or in Ukraine by drones. The Abrahams is a good tank but like any tank vulnerable in these conditions. The same is for the Russian army as they don’t do combined arms maneuvering well and they are being picked off as well very easily including their top tanks such at the T-90.
So, wrong weapons systems for the fight.
Ex tanker here. This is what many of us in the U.S. Armor community said would be a likely issue for Ukraine. A tank by itself, while fearsome, relies on combined arms tactics for maximum effectiveness. That means coordination with air support, artillery, infantry, etc. Don’t blame the tank for having a counter that you were ill prepared for.
Which Ukraine doesn’t have. Ukraine is supposed to be getting F-16s in the coming months. Will those also be a waste of money?
The tanks are performing exactly as they’re supposed to. They are part of a system to draw the United states into a global war and they’re doing their job perfectly. Next step American air power.
LG Brandon is the 21st century’s version of Neville Chamberlain. Probably gave up his lunch money daily in middle school. Grow a pair LG Brandon, confront the bully. Putin wants to reestablish the territory of the USSR., Ukraine first, then probably the Baltics. The Baltics know this, that is why they are sending their planes to Ukraine Like Neville Chamberlain LG Brandon would agree to break the promise that the USA gave to Ukraine to defend its territory IF Ukraine agreed to give up the nuclear weapons it possessed. LG Brandon obviously has no respect for the national commitments my country gives to other countries. LOL He like Trump thinks breaking a solemn promise is A-OK.
Israel had volunteers fighting in Ukraine prior to Oct 7. Famously neutral SWEDEN joined NATO as did always neutral Finland. Switzerland allowed its Leopard tanks to go to Ukraine as long as they stopped off in Germany first. The Euro countries are giving more to Ukraine than the USA because they know they are next on Putin’s list.
LG Brandon hates Biden so so much he will lick Putin’s boots.
Mr Teach once more points out the inferiority of today’s US military! Not only are all our troops DEI fags, dykes, women and trannies, but Russia mocks our tanks as “tin cans”! Has America’s military ever been more of a joke?
Do you think Russia could ever put their Great Leader on trial??
“President” Zelenskyyyyy should surrender to Putin today and take whatever punishment he deserves for disobeying Mssrs Putin and Trump.
Might Makes Right -Plato
Speak Softly But Carry a Big Stick -Theodore Roosevelt
A Fascist With Nukes Gets Whatever He Wants -Mr Dana
While America disintegrates under the invasion of Congolese criminals and lawfare against patriotic Americans, Russia keeps taking more lands!
Live Streaming – Watch The First Boeing Starliner Launch with NASA Astronauts! #CFT1
https://commoncts.blogspot.com/2024/06/live-streaming-watch-first-boeing.html
Mr Teach those tanks that we sent were over 30 years old. LOL unlike cars we do not give extra value for them being “classics” We have over 8000 tanks. I think the true market value might be a lot less than the 4 million initial acquisition cost 1989. The USA as well as the Germans and British are learning very valuable lessons about their tanks and how they perform on a 21st century battlefield.
MR Teach does not consider a promise to be really binding, much like Trump when he signs a contract.
France who Mr Teach mocked for their lack of commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan is now leading the fight amongst the Euros. They have offered their own nukes to be put in NATO countries, in case the USA goes all wobbly on NATO as Trump wants. The Euros will all rather pleased about the Trump convictions (34) they know he is Putin’s poodle bitch.
To be fair, President Biden was probably clueless about the limitations of the Abrams tanks. Civilian control of the military is extremely important, but it suffers the obvious problem of civilians being in control not really knowing what they are doing.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin actually is a retired Army General, but he was an infantry officer, not armored. And there’s no guarantee that the armored division officers whose units were being stripped didn’t select the worst tanks rather than the better ones to send to Ukraine.
But this whole thing is simply symptomatic of the entire problem: it doesn’t matter how much money and machinery we send Ukraine, Ukraine cannot defeat Russia unless we send actual ground troops to fight the Russians. Does anyone here really support that?
Dana,
That’s not what happened at all. The M1 tanks sent to Ukraine were not from Army stocks but were manufactured specifically for that purpose as an export variant of the M1. They had very little of the best technology and were not even pulled from the fleet of nearly 4,000 old ones we have siting in the desert in California. (Yes, we literally could shit 4,000 M1 tanks into Ukraine almost overnight, but we didn’t). These tanks took almost a year to deliver because the US congress had to allocate money to General Dynamics in Lima Ohio to build them from scratch. They are a special “Ukraine only” version of M1.
Aside: I served under Austin when he was a general. Not a very impressive officer even back then. He was always a low watt bulb promoted for the benefit of DEI, even before they had a name for it.
Defeat for Russia entails making the continued attack too painful. Putin may not care how many Russians die in Ukraine but the Russians may. Putin may not care about economic sanctions but the Russians may.