[Goose]

Sounds like you get your wish re:taking their time with the Abrams. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-...s-ukraine/

The relevant info is that they are “ordering them from manufacturers “ and not using “existing US stocks”. I’m not 100% what that means since my impression is we were not producing new Abrams hulls, just upgrading existing ones, but sounds like it will be a while before tanks are shipped. Furthermore they emphasize the only reason we announce it now is to get the Germans moving on the Leopards. I also wonder how much of the repair and service aspects can be set up in Poland, who require this anyways for their upcoming M1 shipments.

It looks to me that (as you suggest) we just announced this to give cover to the Germans. Anything that we "order from the manufacturers" is year(s) away. Presumably the Polish order will be in front of the Ukrainian one and the Poles are real dissatisfied with their delivery lead time. If we wanted these tanks to be there anytime soon we do have plenty of perfectly good M1A1s we could send tomorrow. We have downsized enough we probably have M1A2s we could send, although I don't know that for certain. The US has said that we have to look at what Ukraine needs after they win this war. Perhaps this order (if it actually happens) will be part of that. It certainly isn't going to help Ukraine anytime soon. The other 6 NASAMS will hopefully arrive before then.

[Goose]

Sounds like you get your wish re:taking their time with the Abrams. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-...s-ukraine/

The relevant info is that they are “ordering them from manufacturers “ and not using “existing US stocks”. I’m not 100% what that means since my impression is we were not producing new Abrams hulls, just upgrading existing ones, but sounds like it will be a while before tanks are shipped. Furthermore they emphasize the only reason we announce it now is to get the Germans moving on the Leopards. I also wonder how much of the repair and service aspects can be set up in Poland, who require this anyways for their upcoming M1 shipments.

It looks to me that (as you suggest) we just announced this to give cover to the Germans. Anything that we "order from the manufacturers" is year(s) away. Presumably the Polish order will be in front of the Ukrainian one and the Poles are real dissatisfied with their delivery lead time. If we wanted these tanks to be there anytime soon we do have plenty of perfectly good M1A1s we could send tomorrow. We have downsized enough we probably have M1A2s we could send, although I don't know that for certain. The US has said that we have to look at what Ukraine needs after they win this war. Perhaps this order (if it actually happens) will be part of that. It certainly isn't going to help Ukraine anytime soon. The other 6 NASAMS will hopefully arrive before then.