The 425th Skala Assault Regiment announced on 29/8 that it is now operating M1 Abrams main battle tanks. They are currently deployed to the Pokrovsk front, engaged in some of the fiercest fighting in the Ukrainian stronghold in Donetsk province.
The addition of the M1 Abrams makes the 425th Regiment the second unit in the Ukrainian army to operate the American-made tank. Previously, only the 47th Magura Mechanized Brigade used them.
According to Howard Altman, editor of the American military website War Zone, the Abrams tanks operated by the 425th Regiment were supplied by Australia. In 10/2024, Australia announced it would transfer 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, with the first batch arriving in July.
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Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks being loaded onto a ship for transport to Ukraine on 7/5. Photo: *Australian Department of Defence* |
The M1A1 variant provided by Australia to Ukraine is equipped with a digital fire control system, thermal imaging equipment, and improved communications systems compared to the original model. It also features a satellite navigation system.
The gas turbine engine on the Australian M1A1 tanks has been modified to use diesel fuel instead of the JP-8 jet fuel that is standard for the American version. This is considered to simplify logistics for Ukraine, as many of its armored vehicles and tanks use diesel.
The M1 Abrams was developed by the US between 1972 and 1975. The US has operated this tank since 1980. The M1 tank is armed with a 120 mm cannon, a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and a 12.7 mm machine gun. It can reach a top speed of 67 km/h. The M1 Abrams has a 4-person crew: a commander, gunner, loader, and driver.
The M1 Abrams is considered one of the best tanks in the world. However, the export version for some countries is not equipped with the same armor as the US Army's version, making them more vulnerable to various common anti-tank missiles.
"Ukraine has lost at least 22 of the 31 M1 Abrams tanks provided by the US, according to open-source intelligence tracker Oryx," Altman said. "Actual Abrams tank losses for Ukraine could be higher as Oryx only counts visually confirmed cases."
The role of main battle tanks, including the M1 Abrams, is being challenged on the Russia - Ukraine battlefield, where drones are heavily used. Ukrainian soldiers have had to fit steel cages and Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor onto their Abrams tanks to improve their survivability against Russian drones.
Nguyen Tien (*War Zone, AFP, AP*)
