Poland has taken delivery of 38 new M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks from the United States, marking the largest shipment to date under a foreign military sales contract signed in 2022. Alongside the tanks, the consignment included 14 M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles, designed to extract damaged or disabled armored units from the battlefield.
This delivery is part of Poland’s broader contract for 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, the latest iteration of the combat system featuring advanced armor protection, enhanced crew survivability, and upgraded maneuverability. The agreement also covers 26 Hercules recovery vehicles, 17 M1074 Joint Assault Bridges based on the Abrams chassis, as well as training, logistics, and ammunition support packages. Warsaw has so far received a total of 85 Abrams tanks, complementing its mixed fleet of South Korean K2 Black Panther, German Leopard 2, and indigenous PT-91 tanks.
Before entering service, the newly arrived platforms will undergo inspections at the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne (WZL) Military Plant in Poznan, home to the Abrams Regional Maintenance Hub. Engineers will examine critical systems for possible damage from transit, particularly sea transport. Additional deliveries will continue incrementally until 2026.
The Abrams, produced by General Dynamics, was originally introduced in the 1980s and has been modernized through multiple upgrade cycles. The current M1A2 SEPv3 variant incorporates a reinforced chassis, advanced armor combining metal and ceramics, and an array of weapons including a 120mm smoothbore cannon, .50 caliber machine gun, and M240 support weapons. With a four-person crew and powered by a 1,500-horsepower Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engine, the tank achieves speeds over 40 mph (64 km/h) with a range of 260 miles (418 km), making it one of the most formidable armored platforms in NATO service.
