Posted on 04/25/2024 6:23:12 PM PDT by McGruff
Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.
The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines.
But the battlefield has changed substantially since then, notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones. Those weapons have made it more difficult for Ukraine to protect the tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian drones or rounds.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost to Russian attacks.
“Ukraine pulls U.S.-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats”
Take that, Putin!!!! We don’t need no front line tanks because WE ARE AMERICA, and therefore WE ARE INVINCIBLE!
We are fighting Yesterday’s War.
Tanks, Aircraft Carriers... both are obsolete.
I guess the top down armor isn’t as protective as the sloped slides and attacks from ground targets.
And soon, drones will be obsolete, in favor of nanomachines.
Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost to Russian attacks.
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Damn, the Russians Must produce awesome well built shovels to fight with
I guess the top down armor isn’t as protective as the sloped slides and attacks from ground targets.
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I also recall reading that they are too heavy and get stuck in the mud..
They’re heavy. I think it’s 70 tons fully loaded and fueled.
Those are expensive losses.
@15% attrition after a year in combat service is very good.
The only problem is that too few M1’s and Leopard IIs have been supplied. This is a real war, with a long front and a powerful enemy, that often engages in hugh intensity warfare.
The US has a reserve stockpile of 3000+ Abrams tanks for a reason - high intensity warfare with the Russians.
Tanks are obsolete.
Decades ago, when I took my first job out of college, a co-worker told me it was common knowledge amongst engineers that the most dangerous place to be on the battlefield was in a helicopter. That was because of what the doppler effect did to radar signals bouncing off the rotors. And because it varied with both the RPMs and the width of the rotors, the detector might very well distinguish friend from foe.
I would think drones would be easy to detect and home in on for the same reason.
They got orders from the head office that it was damaging the brand.
With a $500.00 drone, as Paul Havery would say "The rest of the story"
The Terminator series got it just about right.
That’s heavy. The vietnam era M-60 series were about 55 tons. But in the age of killer drones, they all will be sitting ducks.
The US has a reserve stockpile of 3000+ Abrams tanks for a reason - high intensity warfare with the Russians.
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….but have largely ditched ARTILLERY in favor of air “ superiority”, a huge mistake as we are witnessing. There is a reason we haven’t seen F-16’s, they will go the way of our M1’s, Leopards, Bradley’s, Strykers, etc…looks like the Western wonder weapons ( and doctrine) has gone, as the Ukro Nazis say, “ Kaput”.
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