Poland to receive 14 Abrams tanks in June

The first batch of 14 US-made Abrams tanks will arrive in Poland this month, Poland's defence minister has announced.

Poland signed a deal with the US for 116 M1A1 Abrams tanks in early January for USD 1.4 billion, of which the US is to cover around USD 200 million in military aid.

The agreement included the delivery of 12 technical support vehicles, eight mobile bridges, six command vehicles and 26 maintenance vehicles based on the Humvee, as well as training and logistical support.

On Friday, Mariusz Błaszczak, the Polish defence minister, wrote on Twitter that "The transport of the first batch of Abrams tanks is about to start, 14 M1A1 Abrams tanks and three M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles will soon be sent to Poland."

"They will reach our country later this month," he added.

The M1A1 tanks that will arrive in June will be assigned to the Polish Army's 18th Mechanised Division and will be tasked with guarding the so-called 'Brest Gate', which forms part of the Polish-Belarusian border, Błaszczak said earlier.

The M1A1s, previously used by the US Marine Corps, will proceed the arrival of 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams, which is the latest version of the tanks. They were purchased as part of a USD 4.75-billion deal, and are scheduled for delivery in late 2024.

Last year, as part of a separate agreement, the US military transported 28 Abrams M1A2 SEPv2 tanks to Poland along with instructors to train Polish crews.