In perspective, over the past 6-7 years of budget talks, the Pentagon has repeatedly stated they have enough surplus of Abrahm’s tanks and there is no need to keep ordering only to have Congress push through the order to keep jobs in their districts. 30 years later (and expected to go another 50) is it not time to begin the search for a successor – PB/TK
How Trump Can Fix The Army’s Tank Fleet, Deter Russia and Boost Midwest Manufacturing — In 5 Years – By Loren Thompson / May 15 2017
The last plant in the U.S. that can build tanks is a sad symbol of America’s industrial decline. Located in Lima, Ohio, midway between Dayton and Toledo, it currently produces only one M1A2 Abrams tank per month. During the Reagan years, it turned out 60 per month. Another 60 were built each month at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, but that site was closed during the Clinton years. So now there is only Lima, assembling a mere dozen tanks per year.
They’re still the best tanks in the world, but they won’t be for long if they aren’t upgraded. The Congressional Research Service warned earlier this year that “in the not-too-distant future, foreign armored vehicle design and capabilities could surpass existing U.S. systems.” The biggest threat comes from Russia, which is modernizing its own tank fleet with an eye to becoming the dominant military power in Europe.
That won’t be hard. The U.S. only has two relatively light brigades permanently stationed in Europe, and Germany — once the most fearsome military power in the world — has reduced its Cold War tank fleet 90% to a mere 256 tanks. If America’s Army doesn’t field a bigger force of tanks in the NATO region that can at least match the capabilities of Russia’s latest armored vehicles, Russia really could dominate. It already has an edge in everything from long-range fire to electronic warfare.
Continue to forbes.com article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2017/05/15/how-trump-can-fix-the-armys-tank-fleet-deter-russia-and-boost-midwest-manufacturing-in-5-years/#21b65f2c38da
