WASHINGTON — The State Division has accredited an estimated $6 billion sale of M1 Abrams tanks and different tools to Poland as tensions on the japanese flank of Europe stay excessive over Russian aggression geared toward Ukraine.
The Protection Safety Cooperation Company on Friday notified Congress of the potential sale.
Poland has requested to buy 250 Common Dynamics Land Techniques-manufactured M1A2SEPv3 Abrams tanks, 250 AN/VLQ-12 CREW Duke counter-improvised explosive system programs, 26 M88A2 HERCULES Fight Restoration automobiles and 17 M1110 joint assault bridges.
Poland additionally plans to purchase as a part of the deal 276 M2 .50 caliber machine weapons, 500 M240C 7.62mm machine weapons and different tools and elements wanted to function the weapon programs.
Different contractors concerned within the sale are BAE Techniques, Leonardo DRS, Honeywell, Raytheon Applied sciences and Lockheed Martin.
Final month, high Republicans in Congress pushed to speed up the proposed sale of Abrams tanks, which had been pending since final summer season, in gentle of the escalating disaster with Russia.
Polish officers had mentioned they anticipated the primary supply of the tanks in 2022, whereas GDLS mentioned the deal may take two years to shut.
After assembly with Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin in October 2021, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak mentioned Austin thought “equipping the Polish Army with Abrams tanks is totally justified because it builds interoperability between American and Polish forces.”
Poland, whose brigades are at present geared up with Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A5 tanks, is searching for to exchange the Soviet-designed T-72 and PT-91 tanks, to counter essentially the most trendy Russian T-14 Armata tanks.
In a battle, it’s unlikely Poland would deploy its heavy forces to Ukraine or Belarus, however enhancing Poland’s capability to defend itself may blunt a possible avenue of assault for Russia. And people maneuverable, protected forces would have a greater probability of standing as much as Russian artillery, Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the protection program on the Middle for a New American Safety, just lately advised Protection News.
Poland has bought or deliberate to buy a lot of American weapon programs during the last a number of years, together with the Raytheon-made Patriot air-and-missile protection system together with the Northrop Grumman-developed Built-in Battle Command System.
Joe Gould, Protection News senior Pentagon correspondent, contributed to this report.
Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist masking land warfare for Protection News. She has additionally labored for Politico and Inside Protection. She holds a Grasp of Science in journalism from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon School.
