US Army secretary: Abrams tanks may not reach Ukraine this year

The Abrams tanks the United States pledged to Ukraine may not even arrive until next year, U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters on Feb. 23, DefenseNews reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the decision to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine on Jan. 25 after U.S. lawmakers called for giving Ukraine Abrams tanks to push Germany to authorize the delivery of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

“We’re looking at what’s the fastest way we can get the tanks to the Ukrainians,” Wormuth said. “It’s not going to be a matter of weeks.”

“None of the options that we’re exploring are weeks or two months,” she added. “There are longer timelines involved, but I think there are options that are less than two years, less than a year-and-a-half.”

There are a variety of ways to get produce the tanks, from building them from scratch or drawing refurbished tanks from U.S. inventory, Wormuth said

She also noted that the U.S. would also need to provide Ukraine with support equipment for the tanks, like recovery vehicles, ammunition, and training packages. “There’s a lot of details still that need to be worked out,” she said.

According to Wormuth, the U.S. army will present the details to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who will share them with U.S. President Joe Biden, who will make the final decision, the DefenseNews article reported.

Piecemeal tank delivery schedule can limit their effectiveness in Ukraine

The Kyiv Independent