When Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999, its military was saddled with rapidly obsolescing platforms and equipment largely of Soviet design. In response to the Russian seizure of Crimea and its massive military buildup, Warsaw initiated a major modernization program intended to provide its military with advanced capabilities. One key element of that effort is to upgrade or replace the Polish army’s fleet of old armored fighting vehicles, particularly its battle tanks. The Ministry of Defense acquired some 250 German-made Leopard tanks and would like to acquire more. Unfortunately, virtually none are available. Instead, Warsaw should consider acquiring U.S. M-1 Abrams tanks, the same platform that the U.S. Army plans to place in Poland as part of the rotational deployments of Armored Brigade Combat Teams. President Trump should propose such a sale to the Polish government at this week’s NATO Summit. I have written more about this here.
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