It is reported widely that the U.S. and certain EU allies will be providing main battle tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine. Given how little use the Russians got out of their tanks, I am not certain the German Panther and U.S. Abrams tanks will make much difference. Perhaps their value may be primarily symbolic.
The otherwise admired turbine-powered Abrams is a notorious "gas hog" which gets terrible mileage and needs refueling too often. U.S. technicians don't plan to go to Ukraine to service the Abrams; training locals to fight and maintain them isn't something done in a couple of weeks. If the diesel-powered Panther follows normal German practice, it will be over-engineered but perhaps effective.
I've been wondering why the Ukes haven't cannibalized the many abandoned Russian tanks to put together a good sized unit of working weaponry? Supposedly many were dumped because they ran out of fuel, and should be nearly ready to go, even modestly supplied with ammunition.
