Radio Poland
February 18, 2022

US State Dept. OKs sale of 250 Abrams tanks to Poland: defence minister

The US State Department has approved the sale of 250 state-of-the-art Abrams tanks to Poland, the Polish defence minister announced on Friday.

“Very important news for Polish security: The State Department has approved the sale of 250 Abrams tanks, in the most modern M1A2 SEPv3 version,” Mariusz Błaszczak wrote on Twitter.

“It’s an enormously important boost to our defence capabilities and one of the more significant arms contracts in Poland’s history,” he added.

Warsaw signalled its intention to buy 250 American tanks last year.

The first shipment is expected to arrive later this year, officials said.

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Introduced between 2019 and 2020, the “third-generation” Abrams tanks are designed to work with Himars rocket launchers and F-35 fighter jets, and can fire programmable ammunition, according to IAR.

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In 2020, Poland signed a USD 4.6 billion deal to buy 32 F-35A combat aircraft from the United States.