Slovenian tanks struggle for relevance in Ukrainian forces
The M-55S tanks delivered from Slovenia are, according to a Forbes analyst, among the least effective Western-made tanks supplied to the Ukrainian army. Instead of taking part in battles against Russian forces, they are primarily being allocated to various Ukrainian brigades.
"The Ukrainian military never really figured out what to do with its worst Western-made tanks. Shuffled between brigades for more than two years without seeing much direct combat, the survivors of 28 ex-Slovenian M-55S tanks have reportedly found a new home: the newly formed 159th Mechanized Brigade," writes David Axe.
Are M-55S tanks ineffective in Ukraine?
The M-55S is a significantly upgraded version of the Soviet T-55 tank, which was first deployed in the late 1950s. The modernization of the M-55S was completed in 1997. Ukraine received 28 of these tanks by the end of 2022, while Slovenia exchanged them for 40 combat vehicles from Germany as part of their cooperation.
Information from the Oryx group, which tracks equipment losses in the Ukraine conflict, shows that Ukrainians have lost only two of these tanks so far. This is minimal compared to losses of other tanks, supporting reports that the M-55S hardly sees battle action.
M-55S in another brigade
In comparison to their Soviet predecessors, the M-55S is equipped with a rifled L7A1 gun of 105 mm calibre (replacing the original 100 mm gun) which allows Slovenian tanks to use a broader range of munitions with greater destructive power. Additionally, improvements include a new fire control system, enhanced internal and external communication systems, and reactive armour.
According to David Axe, the update to the main gun is the primary reason M-55S tanks still possess satisfactory offensive capabilities, even though they clearly lag behind more modern Western tanks. Despite Ukrainians fitting them with anti-drone cages, the overall durability of these tanks is not optimal.
The fact that the M-55S tanks are now assigned to a fourth unit in two years reflects a lack of consistent strategy by Ukrainians on how to deploy these vehicles, according to David Axe. It remains uncertain whether this will change in the 159th Mechanized Brigade, one of 14 new brigades the Ukrainian ground forces established last year.
"Don’t be shocked if the M-55S battalion gets transferred again if and when the 159th Mechanized Brigade disintegrates the way the 155th Mechanized Brigade did," the analyst concludes.
