Polish army in trouble. Grounded abrams
Poland bought 366 Abrams, but their engines can only be serviced in the USA. A repair center will be built in the country, but only in 2028.
Poland purchased 366 Abrams tanks from the United States, but only now a serious problem was revealed to their operation. It turns out that when making a contract decision, the possibility of servicing engines in Poland was not provided. The only solution is currently sending machines to the USA, which means additional costs and long downtime.
Tank delivery
In September, 38 copies of M1A2 SEPV3 Abrams arrived in the country. Ultimately, all deliveries are to be completed in autumn 2026. These tanks are equipped with AGT1500C airlines that require a specialized service in certified aircraft. As explained by the president of Military Aviation Plant No. 1, dr Jacek Goszczyński, at the time of purchase these technical requirements were not taken into account.
According to applicable arrangements, all repairs of Abrams engines must be performed in the United States. Anniston Army Depot in Alabama is responsible for them. In some cases, instead of repairing, the entire components are replaced. For the Polish army, this not only means the need to incur high costs, but also the risk of reducing the combat readiness of new machines.
Service center
To solve this problem, Military Aviation Works No. 1 conduct preparations for the launch of an authorized service center in Poland. They cooperate with the engine manufacturer, Honeywell. However, the project is very demanding and expensive, and its launch is only planned for 2028. Only then will the first repairs of Abrams engines can be implemented in the country.
Goszczyński emphasizes that so far in Poland or all over Europe there was no plant with the competence to service such advanced equipment. That is why Military Aviation Zakłady No. 1 is the only entity that can create technical facilities for the service of American machines in a reasonable time.
Until then, however, Polish Abrams will remain dependent on transport and service in the USA, which poses serious challenges before the army and the logistics system.
