(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Russian military observers claim that since being deployed to the battlefields of Ukraine in February this year, 14 out of the 31 M1A1SA Abrams tanks supplied by the United States have been destroyed by Russian forces.
This means that of the 31 M1A1SA Abrams tanks supplied by the United States to the Ukrainian military, only 17 remain in the hands of Ukrainian forces.
It appears that the American-made M1A1SA Abrams tanks have met the same fate as other Western tanks destroyed by Russian forces, such as Germany’s Leopard and the United Kingdom’s Challenger.
The extent of the destruction of Western tanks in Ukraine has led them to question the future of their own weapons systems, and whether there is still a need for armies to have main battle tanks in their orbat.
As stated by Russian military analysts, the majority of the 14 American-made M1A1SA Abrams tanks destroyed in Ukraine were due to strikes from Russian FPV (First Person View) and suicide drones.
Due to their vulnerability to Russian drone strikes, Ukraine has been forced to withdraw the Abrams tanks donated by the United States from the battlefields.
Two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press that the Abrams tanks donated by the United States cannot operate on the battlefield without being detected and ruthlessly targeted by Russian military drones.
Russian surveillance and kamikaze drones have made it extremely difficult for Ukraine to protect the Abrams tanks, as they make it easy for Russia to detect and target these American tanks.
Due to the pervasive threat of Russian surveillance and kamikaze drones, “there are no open and wide areas where the Abrams tanks can move without being detected,” said a military official.
At this time, the Abrams tanks have been “withdrawn” from the battlefield and the United States will collaborate with Ukraine to modify tactics, said Admiral Christopher Grady, Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. military, who has emerged as the third official to confirm the “fate” of the Abrams tanks in Ukraine.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict is recognized as the conflict with the most extensive use of drones or unmanned assets—whether FPV drones, kamikaze drones, ISR drones, Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV), and more.
Last year, the United States supplied Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks valued at US$10 million (RM45 million) each to help its military counter Russian armored attacks.
In early March, the first M1A1 Abrams tank operated by Ukraine was confirmed destroyed, believed to be due to a strike by a Russian “Lancet” kamikaze drone in the battle area of Avdiivka.
Reports indicate that the first Abrams tank destroyed by Russia was initially struck by a “Lancet” kamikaze drone and then a second time by a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG).
As early as September last year, Ukrainian military officials warned that the American-made 70-ton Abrams tanks, which are an older M1A1 variant lacking depleted uranium armor and advanced capabilities compared to the newer M1A2 variant, might not “last long” on the battlefield.
According to a report by the well-known U.S.-based television station CNN on May 29, 2024, Ukrainian crews operating the M1A1 Abrams tanks described them as tanks plagued with various issues and problems.
Among the criticisms from the Ukrainian crews operating the M1A1 Abrams tanks were technical glitches, such as electronic system failures due to condensation.
According to the crews, the temperature changes inside the M1A1 Abrams tanks can cause condensation and affect the operation of its electronic systems.
Another critical issue raised by the Abrams tank crews in Ukraine is about its armor, which they described as “insufficient” for action in modern battlefields.
“The armor is insufficient at this time. It does not protect the crew. Now is the era of drone warfare. When the tanks move, the enemy will try to target them with drones,” said a crew member of the Abrams tank, Ukrainian military with the callsign “Joker,” to CNN.
His colleague, with the callsign “Dnipro,” added that they are prime targets for Russian forces and “without sufficient armor, the crew will not be safe on the battlefield.”
Russian military analysts, meanwhile, described the Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine by the United States as merely “empty tins.” — DSA