The US Department of Defence says when it will hand over Abrams tanks to Ukraine
The long delivery times for the Abrams tanks are due to the preparation of the infrastructure to maintain them.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said this at a Senate hearing, the Voice of America has reported.
According to the US defence secretary, the Abrams tanks should arrive in Ukraine in early autumn.
We are doing everything possible to speed up the delivery of these tanks. According to our forecasts it will happen in early autumn. We have moved several tanks to the training ground so that the Ukrainians can begin training. By the time the exercise is over, the tanks will be available for use.
Such a long delivery time is not only due to the training of the Ukrainian military. The US is also working on building the infrastructure to keep the tanks operational.
Austin says these tanks are different from anything Ukraine has previously received from partners. In particular, we are talking about the turbine engine, which will have to be serviced in the tank.