Leaders of NATO Express SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
Leaders of NATO are in Washington this week, where they are promising support for Ukraine but also expressing serious concerns about their own long-term security.
Putin is planning to send tanks if he ever decides to attack a NATO nation. And launch a missile bombardment over the cities of Europe, as he did with five Ukrainian cities on Monday.
Thankfully, NATO possesses two formidable weapons to discourage Russia: the Patriot air and missile defense system and the M1 Abrams tank. Combat using both American-made systems dates back to the Persian Gulf War of 1991. These days, its updated versions serve as the foundation for NATO’s new, enlarged defense ideas. Furthermore, Taiwan is aware of the importance of the Patriots and Abrams tanks in containing China. Up until recently, NATO was in a really dire situation. Despite the outbursts from Vladimir Putin, NATO is a defense alliance. However, NATO lacked comprehensive war plans to handle Russia. After the overall defense plans of the Cold War came to an end in the 1990s, the alliance turned its attention to counterterrorism and out-of-area operations following September 11, 2001.
Nonetheless, the military situation has significantly improved while also becoming more serious as NATO leaders commemorate the alliance’s 75th anniversary. The U.S. Army’s supreme allied commander, Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, claims to have a complete set of battle plans ready to go, down to the level of which forces hold specific areas, for the first time since the 1980s.
This spring, Cavoli also subjected over 90,000 international personnel to demanding drills. Nine NATO countries with tanks conducted a 300-kilometer march and performed wet gap crossings at the Vistula River as part of the most recent exercise, Dragon 24. “It was our first armored vehicle drill since 1996,” remarked a captain in the French Army. Tanks are essential because NATO’s expansive new war plans rely on destroying Russian invaders at key intersections to stop Russia from quickly annexing allies along its eastern border, such as the Baltic republics, or launching an offensive across the Suwalki Gap. For the Abrams tank, no issue. Observe the four weapon systems: a coaxial machine gun positioned behind the 120 mm main cannon, a Browning.50 caliber machine gun, and a second machine gun on the side.
The upgraded electronics, infrared gun sights, reactive armor, and countermeasures that outfit the Abrams for a deadly environment are harder to see. One soldier in the 11th Cavalry Blackhorse Regiment of the Army claims that “the suspension makes it ride like a Cadillac.” You don’t realize you are traveling over bumps or anything when you are cruising along.” Over 4,400 Abrams tanks are in service with the U.S. Army, and the newest has been rotated to the garrison in Poland. The 1st Cavalry Division replaced the 3rd Infantry Division as the commander of the NATO Task Force sweeping Poland and the Baltic States in May. Additionally, Poland is home to a repair center and an academy for Abrams tanks.
