Technically it appears that this is a separate buy from the Wilk program meant to provide 500 new MBTs, this buy is only for 250.
It is certainly not what's written in the article I linked. It does not mention any number, nor relation to the Wilk program. If anything, we can look at rumors, and there we notice a relation between the Wilk and this announcement.
My source on that is a Polish user in several forums named Damian Ratka, who also writes for a defense magazine. He did not spread that rumor, just reported he heard them. He also has a Twitter account.
They also aren't getting enough to fully phase out T-72s and PT-90s. So they will likely be operating 3 types of MBTs with completely separate supply chains side by side
As an extention of my previous point, we don't know how many tanks are to be acquired. Do you have a source that gives an explicit number? I've heard an official announcement with more details was supposed to be given hours ago but haven't followed.
Sorry, I don’t see what you are saying — I am not able to imagine the pros and cons and need guidance. Care to explain?
Poland's right on the border with Russia. And Russia just so happens to be a country that has a huge potential for attrition warfare. It has seemingly endless pieces of core equipment in storage ready to replace lost equipment of frontline units, and plenty of reserve units to keep the flow steady.
Poland needs some attrition potential to add strategic depth.
The USA is perhaps the most reliable emergency supplier of arms because of its MIC might, including production rates and available reserves, as well as prepositioned stocks that can also include AFVs.
The US will likely be a quick responder to any situation in Poland, paving the way for parts commonality for smoother joint operations.
To my simple mind, Poland just incurred a larger logistics burden with the Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine; and not just to increase the number of vehicles needed for last mile fuel supply logistics.
I remember former tankers talking about how the fuel consumption was horrible at the beginning but was mostly tamed later on. I do not know how, whether the solution was technological or simply better procedures and discipline.
But the M1A2C has an APU, which can drastically reduce fuel consumption.
Big issue with the Abrams? Idle consumption. You want to keep the power on but don't move for hours, e.g for overwatch/ambush whatever? You're wasting a lot of fuel, much more than a diesel engine.
So an APU allows you to keep that consumption more or less just sufficient to keep systems running but the engine shut down.
Also, there were at least thoughts of giving the Abrams a diesel engine. I'd give it a very low chance here, but the US might hitch hike on a Polish request for an engine swap.
About engine maintenance, I'm completely in the dark here.
Either way, it's a small price to pay for a modern tank with 0 dependence on Germany which apparently Poland dislikes (according to Poles I met).
