Abrams tanks struggle in Ukraine amidst drone warfare adaptation

Colonel James Modlin, Deputy Commandant at the U.S. Army Armor School, admitted that American vehicles face problems in Ukraine because they must adapt to entirely new wartime conditions. This also applies to Abrams tanks, many of which Ukrainians have already lost.

Ukraine received 31 Abrams tanks as part of the support package. All of them are M1A1 variants. A publication in Military Watch magazine suggested that the Russians have already managed to destroy or damage 20 of these tanks. These are not data based on documented Ukrainian losses, but even those are not optimistic. According to the creators of the Oryx blog, which aims to document material losses of the warring parties in Ukraine, Russians have already eliminated 13 such American tanks. This has been confirmed by photos and footage from the front.

Colonel James Modlin said, "It's something we've been talking about for a while, but now we're starting to see it play out a little bit more prevalent in conflicts." Regarding drones' growing role on the battlefield, he added, "Competence as an Army professional starts with the understanding of the threat, but it doesn't end there. So we're paying really close attention to the lessons learned overseas — we're looking at what is happening around the world."

Drones used by the Russians (as well as the Ukrainians) are often not advanced units specially prepared for the needs of the army but small, cheap, and commercial models. They have cameras providing live feed and small explosive charges. They operate on the principle of kamikaze weapons. Thanks to air operations, they can conduct proper reconnaissance and precisely locate enemy equipment. A skilled drone pilot can carry out a precise attack and hit a weak point (in the tank, this is often located at the top of the entire structure).

The M1A1 Abrams tanks were produced from 1985 to 1992. Designers did not anticipate at that time that they would have to fight in conditions where drones were one of the opponent's main weapons. To some extent, the modifications used by Ukrainians in the form of canopies, metal nets, and Kontakt-1 reactive armour blocks are helpful.

The sides, especially the frontal armour, of the M1A1 Abrams tanks are very durable. These machines' offensive capabilities are also impressive, significantly greater than those of the Soviet-era tanks common in the armies of Russia and Ukraine.

American machines are equipped with a 120 mm calibre cannon with a length of 44 calibres and machine guns of 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm. Ukrainian soldiers appreciate Abrams tanks' "accuracy, excellent stabilization, and manoeuvrability despite their heavyweight" (about 62,100 kg).