A picture has resurfaced on social media exhibiting vulnerabilities of the American-made M1 Abrams Tanks with directions on the place to hit the tank and utilizing what weapons.
US President Joe Biden, on January 25, pledged to ship 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, apparently to pursue or put stress on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to provide Leopard 2 tanks to the war-ravaged nation.
“And immediately, I’m asserting that the USA might be sending 31 Abram tanks to Ukraine, the equal of 1 Ukrainian battalion,” Biden stated within the presence of Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Biden stated, “that is about serving to Ukraine defend and shield Ukrainian land. It’s not an offensive risk to Russia.”
As of current, which variant of the M1 Abrams might be despatched to Ukraine, whether or not the M1A1 or the M1A2, has not been specified.
As lately reported by EurAsian Occasions, the response from Russia to the US determination to ship Abrams to Ukraine has been crucial but calm. There appears to be confidence inside the Russian management that Abrams is not going to pose a major strategic risk.
“If a choice to switch M1 Abrams to Kyiv is made, American tanks with none doubt might be destroyed as all different samples of NATO army gear,” stated Russian ambassador to the USA, Anatoly Antonov. He issued this warning a day earlier than President Biden pledged the closely armored tanks to Ukraine.
Evidently Moscow has been anticipating the supply of Western tanks to Ukraine for a while, contemplating the current appointment of Russian Chief of Workers Normal Valery Gerasimov, a tank knowledgeable, because the Ukraine struggle commander, maybe in anticipation of an imminent ‘tank struggle’ in Ukraine.
In one other signal of Russian preparedness to tackle the Western tanks, specifically the US-made Abrams tanks, a picture is being floated round by Russian netizens that depict weak sections of an Abrams tank and comprise a set of directions on learn how to have interaction these tanks.
The picture seen above is kind of outdated and well-known inside the Russian blogosphere, accompanied by an in depth write-up of learn how to destroy or injury an Abrams tank.
Pointers To Destroy M1 Abrams Tanks
Within the diagram, there are various directions, with the primary one recommending hitting at steering techniques or the tank’s major gun with small arms or/and machine weapons.
The second instruction is to hit the big hole between the hull and turret, whereas the third instructs to hit the bay on the perimeters of the hull, which may be pierced even utilizing the older grenades for the RPG-7 grenade launcher just like the PG-7, PG-7V, PG-7 VM grenades.
The above directions are based mostly on the assertion that the M1 Abrams, each M1A1 and M1A2 fashions, are extremely protected within the frontal part however not as nicely armored within the aspect and rear sections.
ABRAMS Tank/Twitter
Additionally, Russian-language studies suggest hitting the gas tank, positioned within the entrance part on each side of the motive force. This burning gas is predicted to fall into the engine compartment, inflicting the engine to catch hearth and explode.
Nonetheless, for conditions like this, the M1 Abrams has a hearth extinguisher system for the engine compartment, reportedly comprising two bottles and a few moveable hearth extinguishers.
Other than that, Russian commentators additionally recommend utilizing the landmines to explode the M1 Abrams, which might be a really cost-effective resolution.
For instance, in October 2003, an Abrams tank was disabled by an anti-tank mine in Iraq, mixed with different explosives and a number of other 155mm artillery rounds to extend its impact.
The explosion beneath the tank knocked off the turret and resulted within the demise of two American troopers, marking the primary time deaths had occurred from a hostile assault on the M1 tank.
To counter landmines, the M1s are outfitted with a mine plow to push mines out of the tank’s path, clearing the way in which for different armored automobiles to comply with.
A US Military M-1A1 Abrams major battle tank outfitted with a mine plow (Wikimedia Commons)
Moreover, Russian commentators additionally present some suggestions to ambush a column of tanks, reminiscent of creating particular groups of ‘armor-piercers,’ together with a machine gunner and a sniper, to guard towards infantry masking an enemy tank.
Notably, the Russian military didn’t make use of foot infantry with its major battle tanks in Ukraine, which was the rationale behind such heavy tank losses for Russia, as Colonel Rajendra Bhaduri (retd), an Armored Corps officer, beforehand identified to a different correspondent with EurAsian Occasions.
“It was puzzling, amateurish, and stunning. Each foot infantry and tanks complement one another, and the Russian logic in utilizing their tanks this manner is mysterious,” Bhaduri stated.
Subsequently, Russia would do nicely to consider foot infantry in Ukrainian tank assaults, contemplating Ukraine has discovered from the Russian mistake.
Additionally, the Russian army is beneficial to rigorously choose locations for ambushes that will lower off escape routes for the armored column.
In city areas, the netizens suggest utilizing a number of groups positioned at totally different ranges, together with in basements and on the primary or third flooring of buildings, to concurrently hearth round 5 to 6 pictures utilizing RPGs from totally different instructions, focusing on the highest, flanks, and the rear part of the tank.