Poland has inaugurated a Regional Maintenance Hub for Abrams Main Battle Tanks in Poznań, 300 Kilometers West of Warsaw.

The U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski Graces Grand Opening of Abrams Tank Regional Competence Center in Poznań. Photo by Jakub Kaczmarczyk/PAP

The tank facility in Poznań will provide support for both Poland’s upcoming Abrams main battle tanks and the U.S. tank fleets in the region. The launch is part of Warsaw’s broader initiative to modernize its ground force fleet deter Russia amid the Kremlin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Warsaw has ordered 250 state-of-the-art Abrams battle tanks in addition to 116 modernised ones. The first tranche of Abrams will arrive in Poland in early 2025. In 2022, an academy was constructed in the city to train troops in operating the Abrams tank.

"I have to say, as an American of Polish background, it is profoundly symbolic for me to see an M1 Abrams tank, the top tank in the world, here on Polish soil. That is a Polish tank, not a US tank—70 tons deployed to keep Poland safe," the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, said at the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

(J)