Th? US h?s ???n s?n?in? Uk??in? m??? ?n? m??? w????ns, ???misin? K?iv h???-hittin? ??ck?t ??till???, ???mi???l? ?i? ????ns? s?st?ms ??ll?w?? ?? in??nt?? ?i?htin? v?hicl?s, ?n? n?w, ??t?? s?m? ????t?, it’s ?????? t? s?n? M1 A???ms t?nks.
S?ni?? P?nt???n ???ici?ls s?i? l?st w??k th? US w?s n?t ????? t? s?n? th?s?, ????in? th?t th? “A???ms t?nk is ? v??? c?m?lic?t?? ?i?c? ?? ???i?m?nt” th?t is ?x??nsiv?, ?i??ic?lt t? m?int?in, ?n? h??? t? t??in ?n, ??t this w??k, th? US j?in?? ???tn??s in E????? in ?????in? Uk??in? t?nks.
Th? B?itish Ch?ll?n???s, G??m?n-m??? L??????s, ?n? Am??ic?n A???ms ??? m????n ??ttl? t?nks with s????i?? c????iliti?s c?m????? t? th?s? ?? th? S?vi?t-??? t?nks Uk??in? h?s ??li?? ?n ?n? ???vi?? th? kin? ?? m??il? ?i????w?? ?n? sh?ck ????ct n?c?ss??? t? ????k th????h ?n?m? lin?s ?n? ?n??l? n?w ????nsiv?s ?t ? tim? wh?n th? ???nt h?s ??c?m? l????l? st?tic.
Uk??in?’s ????ns? minist?? h?m????sl? s????st?? ??n?min? th? A???ms ? “??c???ti?n?l ?tilit? v?hicl?” t? ?ll?vi?t? ?n? ??t?nti?l US c?nc??ns ????t s?n?in? t?nks, ??t this h??v? t??ck?? v?hicl? is ? t?nk ?n? ?n? ?? th? m?st c????l? in th? w??l?.
Th? M1 A???ms t?nk, ? h??v? ??m?? ?????ct ?? wh?t is n?w G?n???l D?n?mics L?n? S?st?ms ??t w?s Ch??sl?? D???ns?, w?s ??v?l???? in th? 1970s ?s ? ???l?c?m?nt ??? th? A?m?’s ?l??? M60 t?nks. It ?i?st ?nt???? s??vic? in 1980, ??t it ?i?n’t s?? c?m??t ?ntil th? G?l? W?? in th? ???l? 1990s.
J?st ?v?? 2,000 A???ms t?nks w??? ???l???? with c?m??t ?nits ???in? th? w??, ?n? ?nl? 23 w??? ??m???? ?? ??st?????. O? th? nin? th?t w??? ??st?????, n?n? w??? l?st ?s ? ??s?lt ?? ?n?m? ?cti?n.
A G?v??nm?nt Acc??nt??ilit? O??ic? ?????t ?n th? ??????m?nc? ?? th? A???ms t?nks ?n? B???l?? in??nt?? ?i?htin? v?hicl?s in th?t c?n?lict s?i? th?t A???ms c??ws ?????t?? t?kin? ?i??ct ???nt?l hits ???m S?vi?t-??? T-72s ?n? s?st?inin? ?nl? min?? ??m???.
In th? ??t??m?th ?? th? G?l? W??, th? US milit??? ??v?l???? th? M1A2 A???ms, which h?s st???il? ???n ???????? ?v?? th? ??st tw? ??c???s. Th? A???ms t?nk ?ls? s?w ?xt?nsiv? c?m??t ???l? in th? I??? W?? ?n? w?s ?s?? t? s?m? ?xt?nt in A??h?nist?n.
Th? m????n M1A2 w?i?hs m??? th?n 70 t?ns, is ??w???? ?? th? AGT1500 ??s t???in? ?n?in? ???vi?in? 1,500 h??s???w?? ??? s????s ?? t? 42 m?h, ?n? is ??m?? with ? 120mm m?in ??n, ? M2 .50 c?li??? m?chin? ??n, ?n? ? ??i? ?? M240 7.62mm m?chin? ??ns.
C??w?? ?? ? t??m ?? ???? s?l?i??s, s??ci?ic?ll? th? ??nn??, l?????, ??iv??, ?n? c?mm?n???, th? A???ms c?n ??liv?? th? m??ilit?, ?i????w??, ?n?, ???h??s m?st im???t?ntl?, sh?ck ????ct n????? t? ?x?l?it w??k ??ints in ?n?m? lin?s ?n? ???s?? ????nsiv? ????kth????hs.
Wh?n ?n???in? th? ?n?m?, th? A???ms is ???t?ct?? ?? Ch??h?m c?m??sit? ??m?? im???v?? with ???l?t?? ???ni?m m?shin?. Its ???t?cti?n c?n ?? ???????? with ?x?l?siv? ???ctiv? ??m?? ?l?cks.
G?n???l D?n?mics L?n? S?st?ms is c????ntl? in th? ???c?ss ?? ??v?l??in? th? n?xt-??n???ti?n A???ms, th? s?-c?ll?? A???ms X m?in ??ttl? t?nk, which will ??l? ?n ? sm?ll?? c??w s?????t?? ?? ??ti?ici?l int?lli??nc? t? ??liv?? inc???s?? c?m??t c????ilit? with ??tt?? ???l ???ici?nc?.
Th? US h?s, ?ntil n?w, ???n h?sit?nt t? s?n? th?s? t?nks, ??intin? t? th? c?m?lic?t?? m?int?n?nc? ?n? ?????ti?n?l ?i??ic?lti?s.
J?????? E?m?n?s, ? R?ssi? ?x???t ?t th? C?nt?? ??? N?v?l An?l?s?s ?n? ???m?? US A?m? ??m?? ???ic??, t?l? Insi??? l?st w??k th?t th? US sh??l? ?? wh?t it n???s t? ?? t? ??t A???ms t?nks t? Uk??in?, ??t h? ?ckn?wl????? th?t th??? ??? h???l?s th?t m?k? it ? ch?ll?n??.
“Th? m?int?n?nc? ????l?m, with ?ll it’s c?m??n?nts, th?t is th? ???l ch?ll?n??,” E?m?n?s s?i?, ??intin? t? th? th??s?n?s ?? tin? ???ts, s?m? ?? which ??? ?ss?nti?l t? k???in? th? v?hicl? ??nnin? ??????l?, th?t Uk??in? h?s t? ?? ??l? t? ??t its h?n?s ?n ?n? ?s? in th? ?i?l?.
“Th? ?th?? thin? th?t ????l? ??n’t ???ll? t?lk ????t is h?w w?ll th? c??ws will ?? t??in?? ?n? h?w w?ll th?? ?s? th? t?nks,” h? s?i?, n?tin? th?t “?i?htin? in ? t?nk is kin? ?? ?n ??t.”
B?t i? Uk??in? c?n m?int?in ?n? ?????t? th?m ??????l?, “th??’?? ????t ??? th? Uk??ini?n ???c?,” E?m?n?s s?i?, ?x?l?inin? th?t “th? wh?l? ???s?n t?nks w??? c???t?? w?s t? m?k? ? st?tic sit??ti?n ?l?i?.”
Th? sit??ti?n ?l?n? th? ???nt lin?s in Uk??in? is ???t?l, with ??ttl?s t??nin? int? ??in?in? ?xch?n??s ?? ??till??? with minim?l ??ins ?n ?ith?? si??.
P?w????l m????n t?nks lik? th? A???ms, L??????s, ?n? Ch?ll?n???s th? Uk??ini?ns h?v? s???ht, ?l?n? with ?ll th? ?th?? ??m?? ?n? w????n?? h???in? th?t w??, c??l? ?? j?st wh?t K?iv n???s t? ???l ?n ????nsiv? ?n? ????k th????h R?ssi?n lin?s, ??t th?t ??m?ins t? ?? s??n.
Th? US h?s s?i? it will s?n? Uk??in? 31 A???ms t?nks, ?s w?ll ?s th? ???i?m?nt ?n? ???ts n?c?ss??? t? s?st?in th?m, ??t it will lik?l? ?? m?nths ?????? th?s? ???iv? ?n th? ??ttl??i?l?.