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TROPtastic t1_j60awg0 wrote

Reply to comment by Ghozer in Norway will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The goverment is planning a larger contribution that will span several years. by Noxzen

Those will be very important, but will take longer to transfer since they need to be stripped of advanced armour and systems (or export versions sourced from Egypt or Saudi Arabia).

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Annonimbus t1_j60u022 wrote

I heard that the Abrams that are being sent are new manufactured ones. So it will take time but only because they need to be built.

Correct me please if that is false

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TROPtastic t1_j615s24 wrote

I think it's undecided at the moment, since it may indeed be easier to send new, export-ready tanks than to convert domestic ones or find willing foreign suppliers, but production lines in the US are already full.

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Imundo t1_j60ekde wrote

The depleted-uranium cannot be removed from existing inventory, the pledged M1 Abrams will be newly-built hulls and M1A2 spec, unlikely these will show up until 2024

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Who_DaFuc_Asked t1_j60iglz wrote

So we're basically building brand new Abrams for them with last gen hardware? That's kinda cool

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Imundo t1_j60kp3a wrote

Only the armor composition is less than US Army-spec, all the optics, fire control, comms and battlefield management are top-quality

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AllomancersAnonymous t1_j60m4g9 wrote

Surely there are surplus export versions without that armor.

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Imundo t1_j60od8x wrote

Surplus? no. Poland and Taiwan have placed large orders of Abrams and technically they’re ahead of Ukraine in the queue. Poland will likely allow Ukraine’s order to be processed ahead of their own because they are getting K2 tanks from South Korea

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paulusmagintie t1_j618jlx wrote

Does the USA have permission to even sell the Chobon armour? Its a British armour design.

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Imundo t1_j66ijw6 wrote

Chobham is the first generation of composite armour, dating back to the 60s, M1 Abrams variants and Leopard 2 use proprietary composite blends that are not covered by UK patents

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TROPtastic t1_j61jiwr wrote

It's not confirmed that the Abrams will be newly-built hulls, although that may be the easiest solution. We know that conversion is possible because the US government signed a contract with GDLS to remove and replace armor on US tanks for Poland.

As /u/AllomancersAnonymous alluded to, there are export variants in service with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but it's unknown whether the US will be able to buy tanks back from them.

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Supersix15 t1_j61u39r wrote

The U.S. cannot ship the tanks immediately because the U.S. military does not “have these tanks available in excess in our U.S. stocks,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Thursday.  

The Pentagon intends to procure the tanks through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), meaning it will buy the Abrams directly from its maker General Dynamics to then be shipped to Ukraine, a process that “is going to take months,” Singh said.  

She explained that the schedule will give U.S. officials time to train Ukrainian troops on the advanced weapon. 

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