Truth About Tanks: How NATO Lied Its Way To Disaster In Ukraine

Authored by Scott Ritter,

Tank warfare has evolved. The large force-on-force armored battles that were the hallmark of much of WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, which served as the foundation of operational doctrine for both NATO and the Soviet Union (and which was implemented in full by the United States during Operation Desert Storm in 1991), has run its course.

Like most military technological innovations, the ability to make a modern main battle tank survivable has been outstripped by the fielding of defensive systems designed to overcome such defenses. If a modern military force attempted to launch a large-scale tank-dominated attack against a well-equipped peer-level opponent armed with modern anti-tank missiles, the result would be a decisive defeat for the attacking party marked by the smoking hulks of burned-out tanks.

Don’t get me wrong: tanks still have a vital role to play on the modern battlefield. Their status as a mobile bunker is invaluable in the kind of meat-grinder conflicts of attrition that have come to define the current stage of large-scale ground combat. Speed and armor still contribute to survivability, and the main gun of a tank remains one of the deadliest weapons on the modern battlefield.

But the modern tank performs best as part of a combined arms team, supported by infantry (mounted and unmounted) and copious amounts of supporting arms (artillery and close air support.) As part of such a team, especially one that is well-trained in the art of close combat, the tank remains an essential weapon of war. However, if operated in isolation, a tank is simply an expensive mobile coffin.

Much has been made about the recent decision made by NATO and allied nations to provide Western main battle tanks to Ukraine. The politics of this decision is its own separate topic. This article will address the operational practicalities of this decision, namely has the military capability of Ukraine been enhanced through the provision of these new weapons systems.

To answer this question, one needs to examine three basic issues: training, logistical sustainability, and operational employment.

Training

It takes 22 weeks to train a basic American M1 Abrams crewmember. That training just gives the soldier the very basic skill set to be functional. Actual operational expertise is only achieved through months, if not years, of additional training in not just the system itself, but employing it as part of a similarly trained combine arms team. Simply put, even a Ukrainian tank crew experienced in the operation of Soviet-era T-72 or T-64 tanks will not be able to immediately transition to a Western-style main battle tank.

T-72B3M main battle tanks from the 1st Guards Tank Regiment at Red Square

First and foremost, the crew size of a Soviet-era tank is three, reflecting the reality that the Soviet tanks make use of an automatic loading mechanism. Western tanks have four crew members because the loading of the main tank gun is done manually. Adapting to these dynamics takes time, and requires extensive training.

Training is expensive. NATO is currently providing Ukraine with three types of Western main battle tank: the British Challenger 2, the German Leopard 2, and the American M1A2. There is no unified training course—each tank requires its own unique training prospectus that is not directly transferable to another system.

The decentralized training processes created by such a diverse approach promotes inefficiencies and generates discrepancies in outcome—one crew will not be like another, which in combat, where units are supposed to be interchangeable to promote predictable outcomes if all other circumstances remain the same, is usually fatal.

Moreover, these problems will only be enhanced by the emphasis that will be placed on rapid outcomes. The reality is whatever training programs that are developed and delivered by the nations providing the tanks will be insufficient to the task, resulting in poorly trained crews taking extremely complicated weapons systems into the most dangerous environment in the world for a tank—the teeth of a Russian Army designed and equipped to kill these very same tanks.

Logistical Sustainability

Tanks are among the most technically challenging weapons systems on a modern battlefield. They are constantly breaking down, especially if not properly maintained. For the M1 Abrams, for every hour a tank is in the field, there are three hours of maintenance time required. This problem only becomes magnified in combat.

Normally an armor unit is equipped with highly specialized organic maintenance crews that can repair most of the minor issues that can sideline a tank. Given the training requirements to produce this level of high-quality mechanic, it is unlikely Ukraine will be provided with this kind of maintenance support.

A Ukrainian artilleryman throws an empty 155MM shell tube as Ukrainian soldiers fire a M777 howitzer towards Russian positions on the frontline of eastern Ukraine, on November 23, 2022.

This means that the tanks that are being provided to Ukraine will need to be returned to NATO nations for any significant repairs of equipment that is damaged through simple usage or actual combat. In short, it is highly likely that a Western main battle tank in Ukrainian hands will break down at some point during its operational use by Ukraine, meaning that the total number of tanks available to Ukraine will be far less than the number of tanks provided.

Operational Employment

Ukraine’s commander in chief of the Armed Forces, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, told The Economist last month that he needed 300 tanks, 500 infantry fighting vehicles, and 500 artillery pieces, if he were going to have any chance of defeating [Russia].

Following the January 20 meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group, and subsequent follow-on discussions about the provision of tanks, NATO and its allied partners have agreed to provide less than 50% of the number of tanks requested, less than 50% of the number of infantry fighting vehicles requested, and less than 20% of the artillery requested.

Moreover, the timetable for delivery of this equipment is staggered incoherently over a period that stretches out for many months, and in some cases extends into the next year. Not only does this complicate training and logistical sustainability issues that are already unfavorably inclined for Ukraine, but it makes any meaningful effort to integrate this material into a cohesive operational employment plan all but impossible. In short, Ukraine will be compelled to commit the equipment provided—especially the tanks—into combat in piecemeal fashion.

The truth about tanks is that NATO and its allied nations are making Ukraine weaker, not stronger, by providing them with military systems that are overly complicated to operate, extraordinarily difficult to maintain, and impossible to survive unless employed in a cogent manner while supported by extensive combined arms partners.

The decision to provide Ukraine with Western main battle tanks is, literally, a suicide pact, something those who claim they are looking out for the best interests of Ukraine should consider before it is too late.

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Stucky

“But the modern tank performs best as part of a combined arms team, supported by infantry (mounted and unmounted) …”

No shit?? They/we still be using …. HORSES??

hardscrabble farmer
hardscrabble farmer

They mean vehicles, like APC’s, MRAP’s etc.

Armor is simply a rapidly deployed platform for direct fire artillery and has been, since its first introduction on the battlefield, used as a means of providing cover for infantry movements on the offense, or providing cover during tactical withdrawl. Like air power it provides a tactical advantage, but not a strategic solution to occupation.

Boots on the ground, baby, boots on the ground.

Two Times
Two Times

Then tHey all sEe my droNe cargo plane overhead equipped wiTh multiple High currEnt fullY Automatic, miLitary grade muLti-lasers frying troops on the grounD wIth the Ease of an 8 year old burning ants with a magnifying glass.

Euddolen ap Afallach
Euddolen ap Afallach

Two times coded message?
THEN THEY ALL DIE.

FJB
FJB

The flaws in the supply chain mentioned are features, not bugs. How better to deplete surplus equipment than to sell it to a belligerent country and watch it go up in smoke. If Washington could, they would sell Ukraine the littoral ships that the Navy is about to mothball.

Rise Up
Rise Up

Not necessarily “surplus equipment”. Many of the promised HIMARS coming from the U.S. haven’t been manufactured yet, and they take many months to produce.

flash
flash

“ahhh…you know the thing” Herbert Stein

comment image

B Les White
B Les White

my electric stove should even out he environmental degradation done by the DOD

CCRider
CCRider

Scott Ridder is a national hero. He stood, virtually alone stating passionately that Iraq had no WMDs. For that bit of honesty, he and his family had to withstand a brutal barrage of personal attacks. I recall MIC gatekeeper Rush Limpdick pouring venom on Ridder every day including bogus charges about child porn. When you confront the U S war machine you pay a terrible price. But here he stands, once again doing God’s work. To get the straight dope on this war, watch his routinely scheduled discussions with Judge Napolitano on his podcast Judging Freedom.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Scott Ridder is a national hero

Then try to get his name right. RITTER.

flash
flash

” That right there is an M1A2 Sensor Suite on the top… all the newest and bestest Blue Farce Tracker Bullshit Turret on the roof in front of the Loader Hatch… all scorched the fuck up and Roastie-Toastie.

Taken out by a “…a bunch of Raggedy Assed Fucking Dirt Farmers and Disgruntled Former Saddamites”

Now, I want to see what happens to these Wunderwaffen IF and WHEN they get hit by true Russian Anti-Armor Weapons like the 9M133 Koronet ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile.)

“How in the fuck do OUR guys think that a mere 50 Brads and 30ish Abrams are going to make one fucking whit of a difference?
Answer is, it ain’t.
Them fuckers are doomed.
All of them.
Make of it what you will, but my 2 Cents, Both as a former 11H Heavy Anti-Armor Weapons Infantryman with seven years of tank-killing training and experience, and then an albeit 3 year truncated experience as a 19K M1A1 Abrams Crewman, I’d say the sooner the Higher-Higher gets their collective heads out of their asses, quit shmoking whatever the fuck they’re providing in The District of Criminals and at Sodom-on-the-Potomac and for fucks sakes, STOP with the Ministry of Propaganda and Lies bullshit, the sooner the fucking poor ‘reg’lar Krainians’ can get back to ‘normal life’ so to speak… these Wunderwaffen are going to do nothing other than prolong the pain so to speak…
comment image

https://theoutlawintrepidreporter.blogspot.com/2023/02/armor-personal-perspective.html

flash
flash

Comment for linked site. For Deep Shekels, human life has no value. It really is all about the money.

SemperFi032106 February, 2023 21:50
I’ve worked both sides of it too.
I started as an 0351 Anti-Tank Assaultman in 1973 (106rr, 3.5″ bazooka, LAAWs and the last to be trained on a old liquid tank flamethrower) and ended it 10 yrs later as an 1811 M-60A1 tank crewman, in between those I was an S-2 Scout, 0321 Reconnaissance man and 2111 Small arms repairman. I can’t think of anything worse than being trapped inside of a vehicle today, especially an obsolete POS. On the plus side, you’ll die fast. I also hate flying around in aircraft and sitting ducks with the Gator Navy, being on the ground is the place to be, Swift, Silent, and Deadly.
But here’s another thing most people overlook from all this foreign aid, these vehicles are several decades old and were built for much less money than todays overinflated debtbucks. Think of the immense profits to be made and pocketed for the replacement of all this old junk, this is a complete win, win for the MIC and our greedy politicians with stocks in the military sector. The more shit they give away to be blown up, the richer they get and can reap full value + several x replacement value, INSTEAD of having to surplus it out or use it on the demo range.
Who said politicians were stupid?

Anonymous
Anonymous

Considering 50 bucks of scrap amd explosive can turn these beasts called Abrams into burnt out coffins.

INCONVENIENT Messenger
INCONVENIENT Messenger

IED,and IEP are cheap, tanks and personnel aren’t. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Anonymous
Anonymous

Sidney Alford.

The man was a genius.

Celtic Tiger

Not to mention that the Russians have air supremacy over Ukraine, so that NATO tanks will be wiped out before they get into ground battle.

Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid

Perhaps that’s the plan, then they can start the draft for Mr. And Mrs. America again.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Russia isnt exploiting their air power near as much as they should. the war would be over if they knocked out ALL the Ukraine artillery and armor. They seem to be relying on drones to direct their own artillery. Maybe the Afgans can sell them some Warhogs we left there.

EAA
EAA

Russia isnt exploiting their air power near as much as they should. 

And what does this indicate?

(Pssst, this war is scripted. The
“winners/losers” were decided
before shell one exploded)

Anonymous
Anonymous

Russia isnt exploiting their air power near as much as they should

Maybe because they don’t need to. Drones are cheap and plentiful. Russian planes are cheaper than Western ones, but sill not cheap, and they don’t have huge numbers.

If you can kill simply, no need to add complexity.

falconflight
falconflight

Climate…low ceilings make ManPads and other Soviet/Russian anti aircraft systems a prohibitive risk for the Russians.

hardscrabble farmer
hardscrabble farmer

Another 11-H on TBP.

Small world.

Gerf
Gerf

I bet Brad Pitt could get that workin in no time…

Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid

Why would I wish baby killing,sodomite,traitors of the district of criminals, to get their collective acts together? Or that they pull their heads out of their asses? I’d rather see them them continue to be foolish, keeping poking the Bear, and get incinerated for it. Then maybe the rest of the remaining decent Americans can move on towards a better future without them dragging us under. To hell with the district of shitbirds, and the rest of the traitors in this country.

anon a moos
anon a moos

On the same page here. Anyone living near or close to that place should move away from an obvious target. Otherwise the ‘good’ people there, takes their chances and nope, I’d not feel sorry for them in the least should the worst happen. Choices, sometimes have hard consequences, so choose wisely.

EAA
EAA

They are the traitors opening up the gates of Babylon to the “foreign invaders”

Open Gates of Babylon=Open uSA Borders.

Daddy Joe
Daddy Joe

Tanks have evolved allright. Their life cycle necessarily includes their near certain and quick demise (the smoking hulks). That’s the only way they can keep the contracts coming in on the front end of the production line. War is the ultimate broken window model of economic stimulus. This war in particular is nothing more than a machine and human meat grinder conceived and executed to concentrate more wealth and power in the hands of TPTB. Scott Ritter’s article is spot on, but why are people surprised when nothing seems to make any sense? It makes perfect sense to the megalomaniacs.

JoeBob
JoeBob

“War is when the government tells you who the enemy is, Revolution is when you figure it out for yourself.”

– Ben Franklin

Zulu Foxtrot Golf
Zulu Foxtrot Golf

As a former 13F, I always laughed at DATs thinking they were invulnerable in their Abrams. Give me one platoon of 155 howitzers and I could annihilate an armor company. Give me a battalion of 155 or a battalion of MLRS and it is game over for anything and everything in my line of sight.

Preplanned fires with COLTs and HK teams is a nightmare for assembly areas. FASCAM, laser guided 155 and 120mm mortars from the maneuver unit and dieect fire with the HW platoon in our infantry companies make life untenable for armor.

Modern day real time intel makes it pretty hard for WWII type surprises in forests.

30 tanks and some garbage Beadleys are just fodder. Especially the Abrams as they are export without DU armor lol.

Fucken money milking bullshit laundering operation.

ZFG, out.

P.S. when in doubt call for fire. My 11H cousins know the real deal with arty and heavy weapons.

Toujours Pret
Toujours Pret

Having spent time as a 19k the crew and i referred to our ride as “the iron coffin”.

Zulu Foxtrot Golf
Zulu Foxtrot Golf

Yeah dude, I was not fond of dismount operations attached to mech inf in the Bradleys. I hated those things almost as much as a FiSTv.

kfg
kfg

” If a modern military force attempted to launch a large-scale tank-dominated attack . . . the result would be a decisive defeat for the attacking party marked by the smoking hulks of burned-out tanks.”

That’s on the great plain of central Europe. In the South China Sea, one vertical dive, hypersonic missile and it’s good-bye aircraft carrier.

It’s a Brave New World.

Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous

We as Americans need to BACK THE FUCK OFF regarding any of this Ukrainian BULL SHIT .
We keep poking the Russian Bear and we are destine to pull back a bloody stump if we are lucky !
My bet for Abrams Tanks are they never get off the train intact and if the do their life expectancies are less than a full fuel tank before they are obliterated.
Up to this point the Russian Military has been less than all out aggression but I’m certain their patience is about up dealing with the idiots in charge

Anonymous
Anonymous

BTW, because of the “can’t let the Russians have one” mentality, all the Russians have to do is disable a track and the tank will have to be removed from the field under fire. They don’t have to destroy the tank.

Might even be good strategy now. Disable a tank, wait, then kill everyone and everything that comes to recover it. I doubt there are large numbers of recovery crews or equipment being fielded with the tanks, if they ever even get there.

WTF
WTF

Precisely.

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