On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the final shipment of M1A1FEP Abrams (Firepower Enhancement Package) tanks, consisting of 47 units, arrived in Poland. These will join the 69 units previously delivered in three batches.
Photo: The Armaments Agency, Paweł Bejda via X
“One and a half years after the Armament Agency signed the contract, we are completing the delivery of 116 American M1A1 Abrams tanks for the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade of the 18th Mechanized Division. The final batch included the delivery of, among others, 47 tanks and 26 workshops on HMMWV chassis,” reads a post from the Armament Agency.
“M1A1 Abrams tanks in full set. The final shipment of M1A1 tanks has arrived in Poland – we now have 116 of them. Next in line for transport are the most advanced M1A2SEPv3 tanks – we have ordered 250 units,” wrote Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, responsible for overseeing the technical modernization of the Polish Armed Forces, on the social media platform X.
“The Abrams tanks are now in full set. We now have 116 – the final shipment of 47 M1A1 Abrams tanks and 26 M1152A1B2 HMMWV workshop vehicles purchased for the Polish Armed Forces has arrived in Poland. The most advanced #M1A2 SEPv3 tanks, of which we have ordered 250 units, are already awaiting transport. Poland’s combat strength increases with each delivery,” reads a post on the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces’ profile.
The completed fourth batch included the delivery of 47 M1A1FEP Abrams tanks, purchased in January last year for the needs of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, a supply of consumables, and 26 M1152A1B2 HMMWV workshop vehicles.
This was the final delivery of M1A1FEP Abrams tanks before the supply of M1A2SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks to the Polish Armed Forces begins. The contract for the delivery of the former was signed on January 4, 2023, while the agreement for the M1A2 tanks was concluded on April 5, 2022.
The value of the contract for the M1A1FEP is approximately 1.4 billion USD net, of which nearly 200 million USD was financed by the American side as part of the assistance funds granted to Poland under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program.
On June 28, 2023, the first batch consisting of 14 M1A1FEP tanks and 3 M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles was received. On November 21, 2023, during the Tank and Automotive Service Day, a ship arrived with 26 M1A1FEP tanks and 9 M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles (as well as 11 M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems as part of the Homar-A program). Subsequently, on January 6 of this year, the third shipment arrived in Poland, consisting of 29 M1A1FEP tanks (along with 79 M1240A1 M-ATV mine-resistant armored vehicles).
On October 31, 2023, the US Army Contracting Command signed an agreement worth 82.645 million USD (340.73 million PLN) with Lockheed Martin for the construction of an AGTS (Advanced Gunnery Training System) training center for Abrams tanks in Wesoła.
On November 2, 2023, the Danish company Systematic Software Engineering announced that it will provide the Polish Army with the SitaWare Frontline software package of the C4ISR class (Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) for all M1A1FEP and M1A2SEPv3 tanks, as well as support vehicles of the 18th Mechanized Division.
On November 16, 2023, the Armament Agency announced the start of negotiations with the American side regarding the purchase of 25 M1150 ABV (Assault Breacher Vehicle) mine- and explosive- clearing vehicle based on the Abrams chassis. There are also plans to acquire additional M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles and containerized automotive and tank workshops.
Starting from December 11, 2023, the delivered Abrams and HERCULES vehicles began to arrive at the newly established Competence Center at the Military Automotive Works in Poznań for processing, which includes de-preservation and zero-level inspection.
On February 1 of this year, the certification of the crews of the first platoons from the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade in Wesoła, equipped with M1A1FEP tanks, was completed at the Land Forces Training Center – Nowa Dęba. The process lasted one month and was carried out with the participation of the US Army. As a result, from April 29 to May 3 of this year, Polish tankers participated in the 2024 Sullivan Cup Tank Crew Competition in the United States.
Photo Gallery:
