In January 2023, then-President Joe Biden announced that America would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Germany had refused to release its Leopard 2 tanks unless Washington sent its own first.
Instead of helping Ukraine, it became a scandal. Let me explain.
The original M1 Abrams was introduced in 1980 and upgraded to the M1A1 in 1986.
Today, the most advanced Abrams tank in service is the M1A2 SEP v3.
Washington did not send this version to Ukraine.
Instead, it sent export-compliant M1A1 tanks rebuilt from storage and stripped of the very technologies that make the Abrams formidable.
The most important missing element was the depleted uranium armor, which is 1.7 times denser than lead. Modern Abrams tanks also fire depleted uranium ammunition, which shredded Soviet T-72 tanks during the 1991 Gulf War.
The United States refused to export depleted uranium armor and ammunition because of the risk that Russia could capture an Abrams and reverse engineer the technology.
As a result, Ukraine received tanks missing the very feature that defines the Abrams’ edge.
Without depleted uranium armor or ammunition, the M1A1 offered little that the Leopard 2 did not provide. In several respects, the downgraded Abrams offered less.
Germany also declined to send its most advanced tanks. Instead of the modern Leopard 2A7 or A7+, Germany and its European partners supplied the older Leopard 2A4 and 2A6 variants.
While the newest M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is superior to even Germany’s latest Leopard 2 variants, neither country sent its most advanced tanks to Ukraine.
The older Leopard 2A4 and A6 models were still better suited to Ukraine's battlefield conditions than the downgraded M1A1 Abrams.
The reason is simple: the Leopard 2 uses a diesel engine, which is standard for every major tank fleet in the world. Diesel engines are more fuel efficient, easier to maintain, and create a smaller heat signature than turbine engines.
On a battlefield filled with drones, thermal sensors, and glide bombs, that difference is decisive. The Pentagon appears to understand this weakness, because the future AbramsX tank, expected in the 2030s, will use a hybrid-electric engine that is 50 % more fuel efficient and produces a much smaller thermal signature.
Thermal signature did not matter during the Gulf War because the United States enjoyed overwhelming air superiority. Ukraine does not.
Without Western air power such as the F-16 to protect them, there was never a strategic justification for sending the Abrams, the British Challengers, or the German Leopard 2 tanks.
Western tanks cannot survive long without control of the skies.
The Leopard 2A6 uses the Rheinmetall L/55 gun, which offers greater velocity and range than the older Rheinmetall L/44 mounted on the Leopard 2A4.
The Abrams M1A1 uses the U.S.-built M256 cannon, derived from the German L/44 design.
Without the depleted uranium shells, the L/55 gun has greater range and a stronger punch when using the same tungsten rounds.
More importantly, the Leopard 2 fits Ukraine's logistical reality.
Ukrainian forces were trained to repair Soviet-style diesel engines and could not support turbine-powered tanks in wartime conditions.
By August 2024, most of the 31 Abrams tanks were destroyed, disabled, or withdrawn from frontline service.
By June 2025, reports indicated that as many as 27 of the 31 Abrams were out of commission.
When discussing the poor performance of the Abrams tanks in Ukraine, President Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan admitted that it is "because it’s not the most useful piece of equipment for them in this fight, exactly as our military said."
The United States needs a defense strategy that benefits America's national interests. Whenever there is a conflict between defense contractors and our national interests, patriotism must win.
Otherwise, crony capitalism in the defense industry will only lead to crony patriotism.
Recently, a major corruption scandal has erupted in Ukraine, and some are using it to explain the war's setbacks. But blaming Ukraine alone ignores Washington's role in this war.
In Washington, there is a revolving door between the Pentagon, Congress, lobbyists, and defense contractors. Procurement decisions are designed to enrich contractors rather than serve American interests.
These same officials promised success for Ukraine while delivering weapons incapable of producing one.
Ukraine's failures can't be blamed solely on alleged Ukrainian corruption.
The truth is that our government's decisions were never aligned with victory.
Even if we gave it our best shot, Ukraine never had a realistic chance of retaking all the territory that Russia has seized since 2014.
I made this point in June 2022.
Defense contractors profited whether Ukraine succeeded or not.
If America wants to win wars again, the sycophants and the sinecurists of the military-industrial complex must be held accountable for their failures.
Robert Zapesochny is a researcher and writer. His work focuses on foreign affairs, national security, and presidential history. He's been published in numerous outlets, including The American Spectator, The Washington Times, and The American Conservative. When he's not writing, Robert works for a medical research company in New York. Read Robert Zapesochny's Reports — More Here.
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