US wants to get Abrams tanks to Ukraine QUICKER as Putin meets Xi in Moscow

The White House said on Tuesday Ukraine will be able to receive powerful Abrams tanks months sooner than expected under a new plan that will bring an older model into action sooner.

The move, confirmed by White House national security spokesman John Kirby, comes amid reports that Ukraine will attempt to launch another strike to regain territory lost to the Russian invasion, even amid the hard-fought stalemate in Bakhmut.

“The Pentagon is working as fast as they can, and I think they’ll have more to say here soon about the adjustments they’re making to see if we can get Abrams tanks to Ukraine a little faster than previously anticipated,” Kirby said. Tuesday on MSNBC.

“So that’s what we’re working on. There are some changes you can make to process that to speed that up over and over again, I’ll let the Pentagon speak on that,” he said. The Pentagon has scheduled a briefing for Tuesday afternoon.

Kirby spoke of the importance of preserving the advanced armor, which runs on a turbine engine similar to that of a jet aircraft.

“Then you have to have a supply chain to actually keep the parts and supplies going while you’re in combat, while you’re fighting, and while these tanks are bound to take some beating,” he said.

CNN reported that On Tuesday, Patriot missile defense units were able to deploy to Ukraine faster than planned. A group of 65 Ukrainian soldiers training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, will complete their exercises in the coming days, US defense officials told the network.

Those troops will continue to train in Europe and be deployed within weeks as Ukraine repeatedly falls victim to rocket attacks from the Russian army.

The Pentagon can speed up delivery of the Abrams tanks by choosing to send a refurbished older model that can be finished sooner, with the goal of getting the 70-ton combat powerhouses to the war zone in eight to 10 months, U.S. officials said. The Associated Press.

This is the dramatic moment a Russian fighter jet intercepted a pair of US nuclear bombers over the Baltic Sea just days after a US drone was downed

“The Pentagon is working as fast as they can, and I think they’ll have more to say here soon about adjustments they’re making to see if we can get Abrams tanks to Ukraine a little faster,” a White House spokesman said. . That’s what John Kirby said Monday

The announcement comes on a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin received Chinese President Xi Jinping at The Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

The developments come as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a second day of talks amid government warnings to Beijing not to supply lethal weapons that would aid Russia’s war effort.

On Monday, a Russian fighter jet intercepted a pair of US nuclear bombers over the Baltic Sea in a dramatic encounter captured on video just days after a US drone was downed.

The Pentagon said the US downed a Predator drone over the Black Sea after two Russian fighter jets intercepted it and dumped fuel on it before a collision damaged the craft’s single propeller.

In the latest event, the Russian Defense Ministry said a single Su-35 scrambled to meet the B-52 strategic bombers flying towards the Russian border, but returned to base after they left after a tense standoff.

The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or two to build and ship. But officials said the decision had been made to send the older M1A1 version, which can be pulled from the Army’s stockpile and could be there before the end of the year. Officials said the M1A1 would also be easier for Ukrainian forces to learn to use and maintain as they fight Russian invasion.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the plan has not yet been publicly announced. Pentagon officials are expected to make the announcement Tuesday.

The Biden administration announced in January that it would send the tanks to Ukraine — after months of insisting they were too complicated and difficult to maintain and repair. The decision was part of a wider political maneuver that opened the door for Germany to announce its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and let Poland and other allies do the same.

During the day a visit to the tank factory in Lima, Ohio in February, USA

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth met extensively with officials there to determine the best options for getting the tanks to Ukraine.

“Part of that is figuring out — from the various options — which is the best one that will get us the tanks from the Ukrainians as quickly as possible,” without interfering with foreign military sales, Wormuth said at the time.

Officials at the plant, owned by the US military and operated by General Dynamics of Reston, Virginia, said production totals could vary depending on contract requirements. And while they currently build 15-20 armored vehicles per month, including tanks, they can quickly increase that to 33 per month, add another crew of workers, and even make more if needed.

Tank development for Ukraine should be sandwiched between current contracts for foreign sales, which include 250 of the latest versions for Poland and about 75 for Australia. During Wormuth’s factory tour, workers were preparing to build an updated version of the vehicle for Poland.

Ukrainian leaders have consistently pushed for the Abrams, which first entered the war in 1991 and have thick armor, a 120mm gun, armor-piercing capabilities and advanced aiming systems. It rides on thick tracks and has a 1500 horsepower turbine engine with a top speed of about 42 miles per hour (68 kilometers per hour).