Poland has announced the purchase of 250 of the latest M1A2 Abrams tanks from the United States, with delivery expected next year. The new equipment will replace the Polish army’s Soviet-era tanks, and help to create a greater deterrent against Russia, says Warsaw.
Funds for the purchase have already been approved by the government. The value of the contract – including logistics and training – is estimated at almost 23.5 billion zloty ($6 billion), which is equivalent to the defence ministry’s annual spending on all new weapons systems in recent years, reports Polsat.
Czołgi M1A2 Abrams dla polskiej armii. Konferencja ministra @mblaszczak i wicepremiera Jarosława Kaczyńskiego#wieszwięcej pic.twitter.com/UGceDO6kpI
— tvp.info 🇵🇱 (@tvp_info) July 14, 2021
Speaking at the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade today, Jarosław Kaczyński – chairman of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and deputy prime minister responsible for security – said that the new tanks were “the most modern in the world”.
“Our principle is that whoever wants peace must prepare for war,” added Kaczyński. “Well, we want peace, but in the event of distress, our defence will be stronger.”
The latest version of the M1A2 Abrams tanks, the SEPv3, has been in service since 2020. Poland is set to become only the second country in the world – after Australia – to receive them from the US.
The new purchases will replace Soviet-era T-72 tanks as well as the later PT-91 models. The Abrams tanks will be equipped with “new generation armour”, remotely controlled firing systems, as well as the option of using “programmable ammunition”, according to the defence ministry. They will also be integrated to work with F-35 aircraft.
Kaczyński noted that the 250 tanks would suffice “to create at least four tank battalions” which “is more than necessary to create a tank brigade”.
Poland’s defence minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, stressed that the purchase was motivated by “challenges…to international security” and was meant as a deterrent.
“We all know where this aggressor is and what threats are possible,” said Błaszczak. “So it is a quick, decisive response to these threats…These are battle-tested tanks, tanks that have been designed as a counterweight to the most modern Russian T-14 Armata tanks.”
Last month, in a closed session of parliament, Kaczyński reportedly warned MPs that Russia had plans to invade Poland. The new tanks will be stationed in eastern Poland, as part of the 18th Mechanised Division.
The large outlay on the new equipment has raised questions about feasibility and logistics. “It is a good tank, but its maintenance can be a serious problem”, in particular due to “high fuel consumption”, Bartłomiej Kucharski from the Wojsko i Technika military magazine told Polsat News.
Kucharski also noted that the weight of the tanks could make them “almost impossible to operate” in some parts of Poland, as it exceeds the load capacity of most bridges.
Main image credit: Calab Franklin/US Army (under CC BY 2.0)
Maria Wilczek is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She is a regular writer for The Times, The Economist and Al Jazeera English, and has also featured in Foreign Policy, Politico Europe, The Spectator and Gazeta Wyborcza.
