Can U.S. M1 Tanks Make A Difference In Ukraine?

 Issues & Insights  . . ."The short answer is no, for several reasons. The U.S. has pledged 31 M1 tanks but they will not arrive for at least a year. We will not send tanks with DU armor because the composition is still secret and because of the difficulty of cleanup if the armor is breached, so they will have to be re-manufactured with alternate armor or taken from stocks of other export versions. In any case, 31 tanks is a pittance in a war that has already seen roughly a thousand Russian tanks destroyed.

"In support of the government’s fight against ISIS, we gave more than 300 M1s to Iraq, so 31 is largely symbolic; their real purpose is to induce the Germans to provide 100 or more of their tanks during 2023. It is possible that those tanks will arrive in time and in sufficient numbers to make a difference, but even that number will have to be used very strategically if they are to have a significant impact. Russia has a huge advantage in numbers of tanks, so frontal assaults on Russian tank positions would quickly deplete the limited Ukrainian supply. Instead, their high mobility must be used to stage hit-and-run ambushes and Blitzkrieg-style rear-area raids.

"Unfortunately, despite our advances in armor protection, greater advances in anti-tank missiles have been developed, as exemplified by our own Javelin, which has devastated so many Russian tanks. Russia also has plenty of effective anti-tank missiles, which are widely deployed and hard to detect. A solution would be to provide the Ukrainians with tanks outfitted with the Trophy active protection system, which has radar that can detect incoming missiles and rockets and shoot them before they hit the tank. Trophy is a game-changer that largely eliminates the threat from anti-tank missiles and would allow much more flexible use of the tanks. The U.S. has outfitted several hundred M1s with Trophy; unfortunately, this does not appear to be in the cards for Ukraine.

"There is hope, however. Ukraine has shown great resourcefulness in its execution of the war thus far, and we expect that they will use these new assets wisely."  Much more...