Australian Abrams tanks for Ukraine hit by logistic woes
Australian media warn that the delivery of decommissioned Abrams tanks from their army to Ukraine may be delayed. They primarily point to recent problems with the logistics centre in Poland as the cause.
"A delivery of second-hand Australian Abrams tanks to Ukraine faces possible complications after US President Donald Trump's recent temporary freeze on military assistance to the war-torn nation," writes the Australian portal ABC News.
Problems with Abrams tanks for Ukraine
Although the halt in American military aid to Ukraine did not last long, Donald Trump's decision caused many complications. It also disrupted the operations of the Rzeszów-Jasionka logistics hub, the largest and most important point of this type on the map of Europe. It is through this Polish airport that the overwhelming majority of military aid flowing from the world to Ukraine passes.
ABC News notes that in recent times, several U.S. logistics units have left the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport. Due to this fact, and also the pause in its operations following Donald Trump's decision, uncertainty arises regarding the efficiency of the hub, which is meant to receive as many as 49 Australian Abrams tanks. This is compounded by the fact that as early as last year, the U.S. government had warned Australia against transferring ageing Abrams tanks to Ukraine due to logistical costs and difficulties related to their subsequent maintenance by Ukrainians.
Australia a strong ally of Ukraine
Mick Ryan, a retired general of the Australian army, stated that Abrams tanks are needed to help Ukraine in fighting the Russian invasion and everything should be done to ensure they reach their destination as quickly as possible.
"If the US military system isn't able to move these things in a timely fashion, we should be looking at working with our Polish friends or even private contractors — obviously considering security issues, to get these things to Ukraine as soon as we possibly can," he assessed, as quoted by ABC News.
Australian authorities assure that they are in constant contact with the USA and Ukraine, which they intend to continue supporting. They announced the delivery of Abrams tanks last year. This will be substantial aid because it involves 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks. For comparison, the USA provided Ukraine with only 31 Abrams tanks (in the same version).
The M1A1 Abrams is equipped with an M256 120 mm cannon and machine guns of 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm calibre. It weighs about 57,000 kilograms, but due to the engine power of 1119 kW (gas turbine), it is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 68 km/h. Ukrainian soldiers positively evaluate the Abrams tanks, praising, among other things, their "accuracy, excellent stabilisation, and manoeuvrability despite the large mass."
