Used Abrams tanks have already arrived in Poland for training purposes, according to Minister of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak.
“Abrams tanks, which Polish soldiers will be trained on, are already in Poland. We will be ready when the first of the 250 state-of-the-art tanks we have ordered arrives. Poland will have a modern, powerful force to deter the aggressor in an emergency,” the deputy prime minister wrote on Twitter on Monday.
As previously reported by the Radio Information Agency (IAR), the first deliveries of Abrams should start at the beginning of 2023. They will fill a gap in the country’s military after Warsaw handed over its T-72 tanks to the Ukrainian army. As part of the deliveries, more than 240 modified vehicles were sent to Ukraine.
The Abrams tanks, on which the soldiers of the Polish Army will be trained, are already in ??. We will be ready when the first of the 250 the most modern tanks we have ordered become available. Poland will have a modern, powerful force to deter the aggressor in case of danger. https://t.co/L8Ut3TPzHu
— Poland MOD ?? (@Poland_MOD) July 18, 2022
Poland has pledged to raise its defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP and more than double the size of its army.
“We have concluded a contract with the US concerning the purchase on preferential terms of 116 used Abrams tanks,” Blaszczak told public broadcaster TVP Info last week, saying the deal would “significantly strengthen” Poland’s defence capabilities.
Poland and the US signed a contract for the purchase of 250 new Abrams tanks in April.