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The newest Abrams tanks in Poland. Head of the Ministry of National Defense: Ultimately, we will have 250 such tanks

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28 of the latest Abrams tanks have arrived in Poland. “After transport by sea, they will undergo inspection and then be put into service with the Polish Army. Ultimately, we will have 250 such Abrams aircraft,” said Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Saturday evening that the first tanks of the M1A2SEPv3 Abrams version are already in Poland. “The first tanks of the M1A2SEPv3 ABRAMS version are already in Poland. 28 Abrams tanks, after being transported by sea, will undergo inspection, and then they will be put into service with the Polish Army. Ultimately, we will have 250 such Abrams tanks,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on the X platform. The M1A2SEPv3 is the latest version of the American Abrams tank.

This is the first delivery of the latest version of Abrams for the Polish Army. In total, the Ministry of National Defense purchased 250 such vehicles for approximately USD 4.75 billion. IN Polish army there are already 116 Abrams in the older variant.

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Ministry of National Defense has ordered Abrams aircraft from the USA twice in recent years. First, in April 2022, a contract was signed for 250 tanks in the latest version, M1A2SEPv3, with a delivery date in 2025-26. In turn, in January, 116 Abrams tanks were ordered in the older M1A1 variant, dating from the second half of the 1980s, but with a faster delivery time – this contract has already been completed, the last tanks were delivered to Poland at the end of June 2024.

The contract from April 2022, under which the first delivery of tanks has just taken place, included 250 Abrams tanks with associated equipment, including 26 M88A2 Hercules technical support vehicles and 17 accompanying M1074 Joint Assault Bridges, as well as training and logistics packages and ammunition supplies.

The deal was worth approximately $4.75 billion net. It was included in the procedure of urgent operational need, which allows the Ministry of National Defense to purchase weapons without the need to conduct competitive proceedings. Still in 2022, in the face of the invasion Russia on Ukrainethen Minister of Defense Mariusz Błaszczak declared that it would strive to accelerate deliveries, but these began, as provided for in the contract, in 2025 and are to last until the following year. However, we managed to import to Poland 28 Abrams tanks belonging to the US Army in a slightly older M1A2SEPv2 version than the ordered one. They were used to train Polish tankers.

The logistics package included a supply of spare and consumable parts and equipment for servicing tanks, as well as mobile weapons repair workshops and diagnostic equipment. The training package included, among others: trainers and simulators. Along with the consent to purchase tanks, the Ministry of National Defense also obtained permission from the administration in Washington to purchase ammunition.

The newest Abrams for Poland

The M1A2SEPv.3 is the latest version of the American Abrams tank. Over 45 years of service, several dozen variants of this vehicle have been developed, of which the three most important are: M1, M1A1 and M1A2. The Polish Army is the third recipient of the latest version of Abrams, previously, in November 2024, such tanks were delivered to Australia.

All M1A2SEPv3 are thoroughly rebuilt vehicles of older versions, in which the manufacturer replaces worn-out mechanisms and resets the service life (use periods); the most far-reaching changes concern the tower. The latest version of the Abrams additionally has an auxiliary drive unit – to power the tank's systems when it is not moving.

Brzezinski about the Abrams tank: It's a huge symbol for me. 70 tons that will defend PolandTVN24

Abrams tanks

The Abrams is an American third-generation main battle tank. Main battle tanks are a category of combat vehicles created after the end of World War II, when the division into heavy, medium and light tanks disappeared. The third generation – the newest of those currently used – stands out from the older ones with two features. First, fire control systems allow you to shoot accurately while the tank is moving. Secondly, the car is protected by composite armor. This means that the shield is not only made of metal, but under a relatively thin layer of steel armor there are chambers containing layers made of several different materials. This combination provides better protection, even though the armor is lighter than a layer of steel of the same thickness.

The Abrams was designed during the Cold War, when NATO countries were preparing to defend against the expected Soviet invasion of Western Europe. Initially over the third generation main battle tank United States worked together with the Federal Republic German. However, the project called MBT-70 turned out to be too complicated.

M1A2 Abrams tankPAP/Adam Ziemienowicz

Abrams tanks are primarily used by the United States armed forces – the US Army, and in the past also the Marine Corps. They were sold for export to Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait and Morocco – as well as to Australia and Taiwan. Poland was the first European user of the Abrams. Washington also transferred 31 of these tanks in an older version to Ukraine.

The Polish Army currently has three types of Western main battle tanks – apart from the Abrams, there are also the Leopard 2 from Germany and the K2 from South Korea. The T-72 tanks designed in the Soviet Union and their Polish modernization – PT-91 Twardy – are still in service. Many copies of the latter two types were sent to Ukraine, which is fighting the Russian invasion, but officially unknown, but a rather small number of these tanks are still in the Polish Land Forces.

Main photo source: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz/X



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