Poland confirms buying 250 Abrams tanks in SEPv3 configuration

[Zarvan]

Photo by Sgt. Calab Franklin

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński confirmed Wednesday that Warsaw will buy 250 M1 Abrams tanks from the United States.

“We have very good news for you. Really soon, as we expect first deliveries already next year, our army will add a large number of the state-of-the-art Abrams tanks – the most modern in the world, as the latest version has just been added to American armament,” said Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński announcing the deal at the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade headquarters in Wesoła.

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak also said that Poland will receive the latest configuration of Abrams tank – Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) version 3 (v3) and a further dozen tracked vehicles for training.


The state-of-the-art M1A2 SEPv3 configuration features technological advancements in communications, fire control and lethality, reliability, sustainment and fuel efficiency, plus upgraded armor. Additionally, the SEPv3 Abrams is designed to seamlessly accept future upgrades.

The SEPv3 configuration further modernizes the tank that has set the global standard for four decades. The Abrams main battle tank is built to confront and destroy enemy forces using unrivaled firepower, maneuverability and shock effect. With its manually loaded, 120mm M256 smoothbore cannon, the Abrams can overmatch against armored vehicles, personnel and even low-flying aircraft.

Poland’s Defence Minister also added that the government program was worth $6 billion (23.3 billion zlotys).

“Of course, the tanks are the essential part of the price, but the program also includes logistics and training packages. Furthermore, we have money earmarked for infrastructure development, as well as for something extremely important, purchase of ammunition” – he said.

Błaszczak also said that strengthening of Poland’s defensive capabilities was “an answer to challenges that we’ve been facing in terms of international security, and our task is to deter the potential aggressor”. “We all know who this aggressor is and what potential dangers are possible. Therefore, this is a swift and firm response to those dangers” – he explained.


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Poland confirms buying 250 Abrams tanks in SEPv3 configuration (defence-blog.com)

 

[ejaz007]

Poland Just Bought America's M1 Abrams Tank. That's Ironic.

Kyle Mizokami
Thu, July 15, 2021, 6:26 PM

• Poland has announced it will purchase M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tanks from the U.S.
• The M1A2 SEPv3 is the latest version of the M1 series of tanks that first entered service in 1981.
• Ironically, the M1 Abrams was originally designed to fight Poland when the country was a member of the Warsaw Pact.

Poland will purchase 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 main battle tanks from the U.S., replacing older tanks dating back to the Cold War. The tanks will arm Polish Army units guarding against incursions by the Russian Army.

The purchase is a pretty remarkable turnaround of events, considering the U.S. originally designed the M1 tank to fight Soviet and Polish forces on the battlefields of Western Europe.
➡ You love badass military tech. So do we. Let’s nerd out over it together.

The M1 Abrams main battle tank—a clean-sheet design equipped with a 105-millimeter main gun, Chobham composite armor, and gas turbine engine—debuted in 1981 as the most advanced tank of its kind. The tank has outlived several efforts to replace it, gaining upgrades like a larger, more powerful 120-millimeter gun; a layer of depleted uranium armor; a digital command and control system; and a separate “hunter-killer” thermal imaging viewer for the tank commander.

Photo credit: National Archives

The idea that a 40-year-old tank design has a place in modern armies is a relatively new one. For comparison, in 1981, the 40-year-old M4 Sherman medium tank was thoroughly obsolete. The Abrams’s basic design, however, has remained robust enough to accept new technologies as engineers develop them.

The latest version of the M1, the M1A2 SEPv3, adds a remotely operated .50-caliber machine gun, improved protection from remote-controlled roadside bombs, and an ammunition data link that allows the tank crew to issue specialized commands to main gun rounds. The 73.6-ton tank has a crew of four and can go 42 miles on a road and 30 miles per hour cross-country.

Photo credit: Sgt. Caleb Franklin/DVIDS
The U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division was the first unit to receive M1A2 SEPv3 tanks in 2020, so the tank is brand new. The first Polish tanks will arrive in 2022, before many U.S. Army units will receive the SEPv3.

Photo credit: NurPhoto - Getty Images

Poland belonged to the Soviet-backed Warsaw Pact from 1954 to 1991. The Polish Army operated the Soviet-designed T-72M1 main battle tank, and then the T-72 based PT-91 tank. The service also maintains about 250 German-made Leopard 2 A4 and A5 main battle tanks.

While the Leopard 2s are reasonably new, the T-72M1 and PT-91 tanks are obsolete by modern standards and thus need to be replaced. The addition of 250 Abrams will soon give Poland one of the most powerful tank forces in Europe.

Poland Just Bought America's M1 Abrams Tank. That's Ironic.

Forty years ago, the U.S. designed the M1 to fight Polish forces.

www.yahoo.com