Ukrainian forces leverage U.S. Abrams tanks and advanced vision system in battle against Russian invaders
"While the Russian occupiers are attempting to locate the Abrams tanks, tank operators from the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade are decimating the Russian invaders and their equipment," as reported by the Ukrainian team on Telegram. An accompanying video with the statement presents the American Abrams in action, further confirming that the defending army has started deploying these tanks on the battlefield.
1:26 PM EST, February 23, 2024
The Presence of Abrams in Ukraine
It is worth noting that Abrams tanks have been present in Ukraine since 2023. However, these vehicles have been sparingly employed in combat. The main reason for the selective use of the Abrams vehicles lies in their valuable vision system, which is capable of identifying enemy units from distances of up to 5 miles. Recently, Ukrainian forces have utilized the American Abrams tanks to identify potential targets (leveraging the 50x digital zoom, which works even at nighttime), directing their fire towards these targets with the assistance of other military equipment.
The Abrams tank showcased in the most recent video released by the Ukrainians boasts a useful addition. This refers to the ARAT-1 additional armor package from TUSK. This package is essentially a single-layer reactive armor that incorporates two steel plates divided by an explosive charge. As a result, the ARAT-1 mitigates the impact of attacks launched using grenades and anti-armor munitions.
The main equipment of these tanks, provided to Ukraine by the USA, primarily consists of a 4.7 inch (120 mm) caliber gun and 0.5 and 0.3 inch (12.7 mm and 7.62 mm) machine guns designed to neutralize lightly armored targets.
Measuring close to 33 feet in length and weighing approximately 126,000 lbs, the M1 Abrams tanks are daunting. Aside from the powerful destructive force generated by its main cannon, the tank's standard armor is also a vital component. The model delivered to Ukraine has been modified compared to the original version, with the inclusion of modules containing tungsten inserts. The American models have panels with depleted uranium, but these were substituted due to apprehensions regarding the possible inadvertent transfer of sensitive US technologies to Russian hands.
