On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, the press service of the 1st Tank Battalion, named after Col. Józef Koczwara, of the 19th Lublin Mechanized Brigade, named after Maj. Gen. Franciszek Kleeberg (1st TB, 19th MB), announced the delivery of additional M1A1FEP Abrams (Firepower Enhancement Package) tanks to the unit, which is in the process of replacing its T-72M1 tanks.
Photos: 1st Tank Battalion via Facebook
“Another batch of Abrams tanks has arrived at the 1st Tank Battalion in Żurawica, significantly enhancing the unit’s combat potential. Now it’s time for intensive training and skill refinement in practice. We are growing stronger!” – stated a brief announcement accompanied by photos, without providing further details.
Two previous batches had already arrived: the first between February and June 2024 (the period between the initial soldier training and the first public mention of the M1A1FEP in the unit) and the second on November 26, 2024. Along with the tanks, M88A2 HERCULES armored recovery vehicles were also delivered. Based on available photos, both this and the previous batch appear to consist of at least 20 tanks each, suggesting that the standard battalion structure of 58 tanks should now be fully rearmed or close to completion.
In the meantime, on September 30, 2024, the first live-fire training in the unit was reported.
Previously, M1A1FEP tanks were delivered to the 1st Tank Battalion of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade, named after General Tadeusz Kościuszko, in Wesoła.
Let us recall that on June 26, 2024, the final transport of tanks arrived in Poland, consisting of 47 M1A1FEP Abrams tanks along with 26 M1152A1B2 HMMWV workshop vehicles. Previous deliveries took place as follows: January 6, 2024 – 29 tanks, November 21, 2023 – 26 tanks and 9 M88A2 HERCULES armored recovery vehicles, June 28, 2023 – 14 tanks and 3 M88A2 HERCULES.
The contract for the delivery of 116 M1A1FEP Abrams tanks was signed on January 4, 2023. The total contract value is approximately $1.4 billion (net), with nearly $200 million financed by the U.S. government under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program as part of assistance funds granted to Poland.
Meanwhile, on January 18 of this year, the first shipment of 28 out of 250 newly produced M1A2SEPv3 Abrams tanks—the latest serial production version—arrived in Poland. These vehicles were ordered on April 5, 2022, as part of a 4.75 billion USD package.
Recently, new tanks have also been delivered to another unit of the Polish Armed Forces. On November 14, 2024, the 9th Braniewo Armored Cavalry Brigade, part of the 16th Mechanized Division, received its first K2 Heuk-Pyo (Black Panther) tanks in the GF (Gap Filler) version, which will replace the PT-91 Twardy.
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