M1A1 Abrams Tanks Coming Soon to Poland: Poland is on track to be the largest operator of main battle tanks in Europe after Russia – which has lost thousands of tanks in its futile war in Ukraine.
Moreover, while Moscow’s fleet of tanks includes thousands of ancient vehicles from the Cold War, Warsaw is now being equipped with far more modern vehicles.
M1A1 Abrams Tanks Coming Soon to Poland
On Tuesday, the United States State Department approved the potential sale to Poland of 116 General Dynamics Land Systems-made M1A1 Abrams MBTs, along with other vehicles and munition, in a deal valued at $3.75 billion. This latest sale comes just months after Warsaw was authorized to acquire 250 M1A2 Abrams.
With the new option, Poland could further elect to buy a mix of the two tank models.
The new package will also include twelve M88A2 Hercules Combat Recovery Vehicles, eight M1110 Joint Assault Bridges, six M577A3 Command Vehicles, twenty-six M1152A1 High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, and twenty-six M1279A1 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. It will include thousands of rounds of advanced munitions, including armor-piercing rounds, along with spares and technical support.
In addition to the U.S. vehicles, Poland has also sought to acquire a significant number of MBTs and mobile howitzers from South Korea.
In fact, the first batch of South Korean K2 Black Panther main battle tanks (MBTs) and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers arrived at the Polish port city of Gdynia earlier this week. In total, the South Korean-based Hyundai Rotem will supply Poland with 180 K2 MBTs by 2025 – and the delivery will also include a training/logistics package along with ammunition for the tanks.
During the second stage of the framework agreement between Warsaw and Seoul, the Polish military is expected to receive a total of 820 K2PL MBTs.
M1A1 Tank Powerhouse
Polish land forces currently operate the German-made Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A5 tanks, so its future armored forces will have a truly diverse mix of MBTs. Polish defense officials have said the acquisition of these vehicles is to enable the country’s military to counter Russia’s T-14 Armata tank – which is considered among the most advanced MBT in the world today.
Of course, the Kremlin hasn’t actually produced its flagship tank in significant numbers, but Warsaw is clearly not willing to take its chances and is hedging its bets by acquiring a variety of MBTs to bolster its military. Moreover, the procurement of these vehicles has enabled the Polish military to replace its outdated T-72 and PT-91 MBTs, which date to the Cold War.
Many of those retired platforms have been sent to Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda had requested that the acquisition programs with Washington be accelerated as much as possible during President Joe Biden’s official visit to Warsaw earlier this year.
In addition to the tanks, Poland is slated to receive the U.S. Patriot missile system, HIMARS rocket systems, and the first of its fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets.
It will enable Poland to become the largest NATO military power in Eastern Europe, and more than able to stop a Russian attack – should Moscow ever consider such a foolish move.
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
