A Russian T-90A tank has been spotted at a truck stop in Louisiana after being captured by Ukrainian forces and then taken to the US
A shipping label on the side of the main gun’s barrel reveals that the main battle tank may have come from Gdynia, Poland, by an organization called the “multinational assessment field team.”
The unusual sight of a tank parked at a truck stop caught the attention of people driving past Peto’s Travel Center and Casino in Roanoke, Louisiana.
The machine may go to the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) in Maryland, where it could be subjected to weapons testing or possibly used in a troop training exercise.
The tank was being towed when the transmission of the truck carrying the war machine failed. The driver had to go to Houston to get a new vehicle and asked Peto’s owners if he could store the tank there until he returned, reports The ride.
A Russian T-90A tank was spotted this week near a Louisiana truck on its way to the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) in Maryland, a weapons testing center.
A shipping label on the gun, seen on the far left, shows that the tank was shipped by a group called the “multinational assessment field team” from Gdynia, Poland, to Beaumont, Texas
It is believed that the tank could be used for destructive testing or to familiarize US troops with foreign equipment
The tank’s numerous machine guns have also been removed and it appears to be missing some western fire control components that other T-90As are equipped with
This is believed to be the same tank pictured on the battlefield in Ukraine last September
The tank, believed to have been built in 2004, was reportedly captured by Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade from Russian troops in Kharkiv last September.
The Russian soldiers who abandoned the tank belonged to the 27th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, 1st Guards Tank Army.
Photos taken at the truck stop show it complete with damaged front and rear fenders and some explosive reactive armor (ERA) containers on the turret.
The numerous machine guns have also been removed and it appears to be missing some western fire control components that other T-90As are equipped with on the battlefield.
While the shipping label gives some indication of the tank’s origin and destination, several questions remain, including how it was brought to the US and what it will be used for once it reaches ATC.
“ATC is the Department of Defense’s lead agency for ground, direct fire and live fire vulnerability testing,” it said. ATC’s own website.
‘ATC is a multifunctional test center with various options. It has become a world-class testing, training, modeling, simulation and experimentation facility that provides American Warfighters with superior equipment and technology.”
The tank will most likely be examined by the US military to obtain information on foreign equipment through a hands-on study, including understanding its capabilities and vulnerabilities through reverse engineering.
Photos taken at the truck stop show it complete with damaged front and rear fenders and some explosive reactive armor (ERA) containers on the turret
The tank was spotted at a truck stop in Roanoke, Louisiana on its way north to Maryland
The interior of the tank is badly damaged with very little usable equipment
The tank can be examined by the US military to obtain information on foreign equipment through a field investigation
The tank could provide insight into its capabilities and vulnerabilities through reverse engineering
According to The ride, the tank was left unattended at the truck stop for several days, raising fears that it had been tampered with or that sensitive information might have been compromised.
The transport company transporting the tank also declined to provide further information and army officials have yet to comment.
Earlier this month, a leaked trove of US intelligence documents provided the clearest answer yet about the state of the Ukrainian and Russian armies.
Overall, Russia has lost more men and more firepower than the Ukrainians, the documents show, but the losses are nowhere near as devastating as many in the West had been led to believe — with less than two Russian casualties for every Ukrainian.
Russia has lost some 2,000 tanks since the start of the war and now has fewer than 500 on the battlefield – a devastating blow to what was once the world’s largest tank army, and which could take decades to rebuild .
The documents also seem to confirm that Putin’s manpower problem is just as bad – if not worse – than expected, with more than 90 percent of his battle formations committed to Ukraine.
The tank was seen at the truck stop in Louisiana for several days
A Ukrainian soldier pilots a captured Russian T-72 tank during Russia’s attack on Ukraine during the early days of the war
Russia has lost some 2,000 tanks since the start of the war and now has fewer than 500 on the battlefield
Ruassia’s losses are a devastating blow to what was once the world’s largest tank army that could take decades to rebuild
Women take photos atop a destroyed Russian tank during an exhibition of destroyed Russian military vehicles amid the Russian invasion last month in central Kiev, Ukraine