US to begin training Ukrainian troops on Abrams tanks
The US will start training Ukrainian forces on how to use and maintain Abrams tanks in the coming weeks.
It continues to speed up its effort to get them onto the battlefield as quickly as possible, AP says.
According to US officials, 31 Abrams tanks will be delivered to the Grafenwehr training ground in Germany at the end of May, after which the Ukrainian military will begin training, which will last about 10 weeks.
About 250 Ukrainian troops will be trained — with some learning to operate the tanks and others learning to repair and maintain them. Additional training on how to fight and maneuver with the tanks could also be provided after the initial 10 weeks.
The training tanks will not be the ones that will later be handed over to Ukraine's forces. Currently, 31 battle tanks of the M1A1 modification are being upgraded in the USA, which, when ready, will be sent to Ukraine.
So far, the U.S. has trained 8,800 Ukrainian troops who have already returned to the battlefield, and another roughly 2,500 are in training now.
The Biden administration announced last month it would speed up the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send a refurbished older model that can be ready faster. The goal is to get the 70-ton battle powerhouses to the war zone by the fall.
