(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Recent reports from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict claim that 20 out of the 31 American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine have been destroyed.
The latest destruction of the M1A1 Abrams tanks, operated by Ukrainian forces, reportedly occurred in the Kursk region of Russia during a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory near their shared border.
Russia alleges that there is video evidence showing the destruction of the U.S.-made tanks by Kornet anti-tank missile systems in the Kursk region.
Russian military analysts assert that these 20 tanks were destroyed within a six-month period this year, shortly after the American tanks were deployed to the battlefield.
According to Russian military analysts, the majority of the 20 destroyed M1A1SA Abrams tanks were hit by Russian FPV (First Person View) drones and suicide drones known as “Lancets.”
The significant losses of Western-made tanks in the Ukraine battlefield have prompted Western military analysts to question the relevance of tanks in modern and future warfare.
The heavy losses of Western tanks in Ukraine have led to doubts about the future of their own weapons systems, with some questioning whether tanks are still necessary for military forces.
Due to the relentless drone attacks by Russia, Ukraine, at Washington’s request, ordered the withdrawal of M1A1 SA Abrams tanks from the battlefield several months ago.
Two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press that the donated M1A1 Abrams tanks cannot operate on the battlefield without being detected and severely targeted by Russian drones.
The pervasive presence of Russian surveillance and suicide drones has made it extremely difficult for Ukraine to protect the Abrams tanks, as these drones make it easy for Russia to detect and hunt them.
Given the widespread threat posed by Russian surveillance and suicide drones, “there is no open and wide area where the Abrams tanks can move without being detected,” said one military official.
The tanks were “withdrawn” from the battlefield, and the U.S. will work with Ukraine to modify tactics, according to U.S. Deputy Chief of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady, who became the third U.S. military official to confirm the fate of the Abrams tanks in Ukraine.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict is widely recognized as the conflict with the highest usage of drones or unmanned assets, including FPV drones, suicide drones, ISR drones, Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), and more.
The United States supplied 31 Abrams tanks, each costing $10 million (RM45 million), to Ukraine last year to help its forces counter Russian armor assaults.
In early March, the first M1A1 Abrams tank operated by Ukraine was confirmed destroyed, believed to have been hit by a Russian Lancet suicide drone in the Avdiivka battle zone.
Reports indicate that the first M1A1 Abrams tank destroyed by Russia was initially hit by a Lancet drone before being struck a second time by a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG).
As early as September last year, Ukrainian military officials warned that the 70-ton U.S.-made tank might not “last long” on the battlefield.
The Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine are M1A1 variants, which are considered “aged” and lack the depleted uranium armor and capabilities of the more advanced M1A2 variant.
According to a report by CNN on May 29, 2024, Ukrainian crews operating the M1A1 Abrams tanks described them as plagued with various issues and problems.
Among the criticisms voiced by the Ukrainian crews were technical glitches, such as the failure of the tank’s electronic systems due to condensation.
Another critical issue raised by the Ukrainian Abrams tank crews was the insufficient armor, which they deemed inadequate for modern battlefield conditions.
“The armor is insufficient at this time. It does not protect the tank crew. This is the era of drone warfare. When the tank moves, the enemy will try to hit it with drones,” said a Ukrainian Abrams tank crew member with the callsign “Joker” in an interview with CNN.
His colleague, with the callsign “Dnipro,” added that they are the primary target of Russian forces, and “without sufficient protection (armor), the crew will not survive on the battlefield.”
Russian military analysts, on the other hand, described the Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine by the United States as nothing more than “empty cans.” — DSA