The Empire’s Outdated Tank

Symptoms of a dying empire are arrogance and a refusal to adapt to change. The M-1 Abrams tank is an outdated Cold War symbol of the power of the US Army. It was designed in the 1970s, costs far too much to upgrade and maintain, burns far too much fuel, lacks overhead protection from drones, and is far too heavy for most off-road operations and rural bridges. This was exposed during the war in Ukraine when M-1 tanks were easily destroyed on the battlefield. The Ukrainians were sent 31 70-ton M-1s and quickly asked to trade them for German Leopard tanks since the super heavy M-1s easily got stuck in mud, broke down often, and required daily refueling. After seven M-1s were destroyed during their first three months of sporadic combat, most were withdrawn from units.

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“The Army’s M-1 Tank”; Greg Williams; POGO; January 1, 1990; https://www.pogo.org/reports/armys-m1…

“The Tank is Dead”; Carlton Meyer; G2mil; 2017; https://www.g2mil.com/Anti-armor.htm

“Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats”; Tara Copp; AP News; April 25, 2024; https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-ru…

“M1 Abrams Ineffective By 2040 In Fight Against China: Army Study”; The Warzone; Joseph Trevithick; October 4, 2023; https://www.twz.com/m1-abrams-ineffec…

“M44 (155mm Self-propelled Howitzer)”; Armed Conflicts;https://www.armedconflicts.com/M44-15…

“Rhinos”; Carlton Meyer; G2mil; 2015; small, heavily armored vehicles needed to support infantry; https://www.g2mil.com/tankitas.htm