U.S. Concludes Abrams Tanks ‘Not Useful’ For Ukraine Following Heavy Losses

<p >Ten months after the first deployments of American-supplied M1A1 Abrams tanks by the Ukrainian Army in combat, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has concluded that the vehicles were “not useful” for Ukraine’s war effort. When asked whether the Biden administration could have better prepared Ukraine for <a href=" target="_blank">offensives</a> against Russian forces, Sullivan cited the Abrams as an example of how many kinds of American weapons did not have the desired impact in the theatre. “When it comes to Abrams tanks, we sent Abrams tanks to Ukraine… These Abrams tank units are actually undermanned because it’s not the most useful piece of equipment for them in this fight,” he stated. The Abrams is widely considered the most capable tank class in the Western world, and uniquely among Western tanks boast gas turbine engines providing improved mobility. Following the delivery of 31 of the vehicles to Ukraine from September 2023, Australia in October 2024 <a href=" >pledged to deliver </a>49 more M1A1 Abrams tanks, although unlike those from the United States which were newly built, those from Australia have already seen decades in service. </p><p ><img src=" title="Ukrainian Abrams Tank Hit By Precision Guided Artillery Early May"></p><p >The M1A1 Abrams was <a href=" >first seen</a> deployed on February 23, with the tanks having seen the first loss <a href=" >confirmed</a> just three days afterwards followed by a succession of further losses over the next two months. This culminated in a temporary <a href=" >withdrawal from the frontlines</a> in April, after which armour protection levels were increased. The rate of loses has nevertheless remained high whenever the vehicles have seen combat. Over 20 of the 31 Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine are now thought to have been destroyed, disabled or captured, with most kills on film being achieved <a href=" >by guided artillery</a> or <a href=" >by single use ‘kamikaze’ drones</a>. One of the tanks was confirmed to have been <a href=" >achieved by a Russian T-72B3</a> tank after the two exchanged fire near Avdiivka. </p><p >Summarising the issues with operating the tank class, U.S. Undersecretary for Defence for Policy Colin Kahl previously warned: “The challenge with the Abrams is, it’s expensive. It’s difficult to train on. It is very difficult to sustain. It has a huge, complicated turbine engine that requires jet fuel… Frankly, our assessment is just that the Abrams is not the right capability at this time.” This mirrored <a href=" target="_blank">similar criticisms</a> regarding other Western tank classes supplied to Ukraine, namely the Challenger 2 and Leopard 2, which similarly suffer from very heavy weights and particularly high maintenance needs. The shift in consensus on the Abrams has raised the possibility that planned Australian deliveries may not be fully realised. </p>