How much time would need Ukrainian tank crews to master Abrams PHOTO

Since August 2022, there is an "Abrams Academy" set up in Poland, at the Land Forces training center in Poznań and several facilities in Biedrusko. At this specialized training camp, Polish military personnel is learning the combat and maintenance basics of the American Abrams main battle tank. Over the last three months, 150,000 soldiers have undergone the course, Defense Express reports via Defence24.

During the training program, instructors from the Polish Land Force and their colleagues from the USA have prepared tank crews and technicians who will mount the 116 used Abrams that the White House promised in exchange for the T-72M1 tanks sent to Ukraine. For practice purposes, 28 tanks of the M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams type were leased from the US Army.

As noted by the Polish media outlet, the training will continue in 2023. It must be the new course for tank commanders, gunners, drivers, techicians and instructors who will take care of the 250 newly made Abrams M1A2 SEPv2 provided by the contract signed in July 2021.

And here we should pay extra attention to the fact that the Polish and US military are teaching not only the crews who will be ready to use Abrams themselves but also instructors who will continue to share the knowledge among even more students on their own. The crew of an Abrams is four people. It means that the first graduates of the instructor course will have to prepare another 400 fellow servicemen to fight on the 116 used tanks expected in the near future.

This leads to the conclusion that if the White House issues the political decision to give Abrams to Ukraine, the training will take at least three months. Hasten to add, this estimate takes into account that Polish servicemen had already had plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with the Abrams during many bilateral or joint NATO drills previously.

We should also take note of the location of the "Abrams Academy". Poznań and Poznań County are close to Germany which played a role of a transfer hub for the US Army. Surely the logistical factor was important when choosing the location for the training center. But there might be Polish "internal" motives to establish the facility there since this is the only place where the Poles can set up tank training grounds big enough to comfortably teach its military using new vehicles.

This is another circumstance telling us that there is no actual need to send Ukrainians to the USA to teach them operating Abrams. Instead, one of the grounds in the nearby NATO country could be used.

As Defense Express earlier reported, while the Abrams discussion is still ongoing, the USA hints Germany can start supplying its Leopard on its own accord, not waiting for the same actions from the USA.