(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The widespread use of Russia’s suicide drones, especially the “LANCET,” will expose American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks as soon as they enter the battlefield in Ukraine.
Moscow has already issued warnings about the fate that awaits them once they join the Ukrainian military’s counteroffensive in the southern part of the country.
“(Armored) M1A1 Abrams will also be vulnerable to destruction.”
German military expert Gustav Gressel, who specializes in armed conflicts and military affairs, told his country’s media that Russia’s widespread use of high-tech suicide drones would accelerate the destruction of Abrams tanks in Ukraine.
“Military technology is evolving rapidly. The widespread use of suicide drones has made Abrams tanks more vulnerable. They are easier to be detected and quickly destroyed (by Lancet),” he said.
Gressel, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), also mentioned that Ukraine is facing unfavorable conditions at the moment, with winter approaching soon, making it more challenging to maneuver heavy 70-ton armored vehicles like the Abrams in muddy terrain.
He further stated that during Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began about three months ago during the early summer, suicide drones (loitering munition) caused significant damage to Kiev’s military assets.
Many of Ukraine’s military assets, including those supplied by Western countries and NATO, have been successfully destroyed by Russia’s suicide drones.
According to Gressel, Russian forces use the LANCET suicide drones to target various Ukrainian military assets, including artillery pieces, air defense systems, multiple rocket launchers, as well as government centers and military command posts.
He mentioned that around 500 Ukrainian soldiers tasked with operating M1A1 Abrams tanks received ten weeks of training in Germany on how to handle the American-made armored vehicles.
However, despite the ten weeks of training, these Ukrainian soldiers will only possess basic skills related to Abrams tanks, including tactics and operations.
Their marksmanship skills are also basic, and the Abrams tanks are considered less effective when facing Russian forces equipped with modern anti-tank weapons.
Recent reports from Ukraine indicate that between eight to ten main battle tanks, M1A1 Abrams, out of the 31 donated by the United States, have arrived in the country in the past few days.
The Abrams tanks are currently being prepared before being deployed to the battlefield to face Russian forces.
However, just a few days after arriving in Ukraine, Ukrainian military officials have warned that the 70-ton American-made Abrams tanks may not “last long” on the battlefield.
Furthermore, the Abrams tanks provided to Ukraine are of the M1A1 variant, considered “aging,” and lack depleted uranium armor and limited capabilities compared to the latest M1A2 variant.
As demonstrated in Iraq, M1A1 Abrams tanks can be vulnerable to basic and outdated anti-tank weapons.
Lt. Gen. Kirill Budanov, Chief of the Ukrainian Army’s Intelligence Directorate, stated that the Abrams tanks’ duration on the battlefield in Ukraine would be severely limited if they were used haphazardly on the front lines.
“If the Abrams tanks are used on the front lines or in some combat scenarios, their time on the battlefield may be limited and short,” he said.
Budanov also mentioned that the practicality of using Abrams tanks was highly restricted due to the widespread use of artillery and land mines by Russian forces on the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Russian artillery and land mines have reduced the potential use of armored assets across the entire battlefield to a minimum,” said the senior intelligence officer in the Ukrainian military.
US and Western military officials have high hopes for the Abrams tanks’ capability in helping Ukraine break through Russian military defenses in the current counteroffensive.
However, recent events involving Western armored vehicles like Leopard 1 and Challenger 2 in the hands of Russian forces have raised concerns among US military officials that the Abrams tanks may face a similar fate. – DSA
DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA APPS
To advertise contact admin: haikalhamas73@gmail.com