Tank battles of the kind the Abrams was built for are rare in Ukraine, where tanks aren't often killed in fights with enemy armor

Chris Panella,Ryan Pickrell

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U.S. Army M1/A1 Abrams tanks from Charlie company of the 464 Armored Battalion are deployed during task force maneuvers on December 18, 2002, near the Iraqi border in the Kuwaiti. Scott Nelson/Getty ImagesUS-made M1A1 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, but the war may not give it the opportunity to do what it does best.

The Abrams was designed to defeat Soviet-built armor.

American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, but these powerful tanks with a combat-proven ability to defeat Soviet-built armor may not see much of the tank-on-tank combat for which they were built.

Ukrainian officials told The Wall Street Journal that fewer than 5% of tanks destroyed since Russia's full-scale invasion have been killed by other tanks. An overwhelming majority have been wrecked by land mines, drones, anti-tank missiles, and artillery. Tank battles aren't happening often, the report said.

Tank battles do still happen, as recently released battlefield footage has showed, but they are uncommon. Land warfare experts at the Royal United Services Institute noted that earlier this year, writing in a report that "tank-on-tank engagements have become relatively rare."

In this environment, the Abrams may have less opportunity to do what it does best. As a former Army officer told Insider, the Abrams "can do other things, but it's built to kill tanks."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Abrams tanks had arrived and were "preparing to reinforce our brigades." US officials told The New York Times the delivery amounted to two platoons' worth, and the remainder of the 31 tanks promised by the Biden administration earlier this year will be sent later. To get the armor there faster, the US opted to send the older M1A1 versions rather than the newer A2 models.

View of American M1A1 Abrams tanks as they cross the desert during the Gulf War, Iraq, 1991. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images

It remains to be seen how the Abrams will perform for Kyiv's forces in Ukraine, but two former US Army officers told Insider the M1A1 is still far superior to Russian tanks and can keep its crew safe from heavy fire while doling out massive damage, even if it requires hefty logistics and significant maintenance.

A key objective in the original planning for the Abrams tank was "dominating and defeating the enormous threat inherent in the armor of our potential adversaries," the focus being on Soviet armored forces.

In the Gulf War, the Abrams showed exactly what it was capable of, devastating Iraq's Soviet-built T-72s without taking losses from enemy action. Armor crews even recalled incidents in which enemy fire simply bounced off the tanks.

In Ukraine, though, there's a chance the tank that performed so well during the Gulf War may not have many chances to duke it out with Russian tanks.

Both Ukraine and Russia have revolutionized using cheap, domestically produced first-person view (FPV) drones to take out more much expensive tanks, flying into them and exploding on impact or dropping explosives on them.

These unmanned aerial vehicles have become so pervasive that a Ukrainian soldier recently said his unit hasn't fired their rifles in months as the war has become about "shooting drones at each other."

Other threats to armor in this war have been soldier-carried anti-tank missiles like Javelins and NLAWS, as well as those fired from attack helicopters.

Ukraine's counteroffensive initially struggled as Moscow's Ka-52 attack helicopters and artillery did massive damage to Ukraine's Western-provided tanks and armored vehicles attempting to work their way through dense minefields, in which anti-tank mines were sometimes stacked on top of one another for greater destructive potential. These challenges, for a time, forced troops to abandon their armor and proceed on foot.

U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tank fires during NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group military exercise Crystal Arrow 2021 in Adazi, Latvia March 26, 2021. INTS KALNINS/REUTERS

It's unclear what this may mean for the Abrams, but Ukraine will likely have to adapt the tank to these threats to bring its firepower to bear. There are still plenty of potentially useful functions the M1A1 brings to the table, including additional mobile firepower that can be used against Russia's fortified defenses and manned positions.

The Abrams boasts a powerful 120mm main gun and sophisticated fire control system, as well as the ability to target enemies at greater distances than some Soviet systems.

And despite the Abrams' heavy armor — which adds extra weight but allows it to take hits while still dealing damage— it is a surprisingly agile tank thanks to its powerful gas-turbine engine, which can get the 60-ton A1 up to 45 miles an hour, useful for dodging certain threats. And the added armor and emphasis on crew survivability could save the crew if the tank is struck.

Beyond enemy threats, Ukraine will still face a major challenge operating the Abrams on the battlefield — and that is keeping it there. Maintaining these vehicles, particularly the engine, is tough. But a US official said last week that Ukraine was getting "a lot more spare parts" with the tanks, which may make it easier for the Ukrainians to keep the Abrams in fighting shape.