The tanks Nato countries have now agreed to send to Ukraine may have spent three decades being battle-tested in the hot, harsh and rugged environments of the Middle East but they were designed precisely for the battlefields they will soon be facing in Europe.
Veterans tell The National the vehicles excelled in Iraq and Afghanistan but will prove vital for Ukraine, being designed for high-intensity war against Soviet-era armour in Europe's muddy, semi-built up and wooded environments.
On Wednesday, Germany agreed to send more than 100 Leopard 2 battle tanks, some of the best in the world, as the US looked at sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
It comes after the UK said it would send its Challenger II main battle tank as western states make the latest donations of top-of-the-range equipment.
The deal comes after weeks of wrangling that highlighted splits between Ukraine’s Nato allies.
Tanks back on home turf after desert modifications
“They were adapted to the Middle East but were designed for combat in Europe, back in the '70s and '80s,” said Craig Whiteside, who commanded Bradley Fighting Vehicles for the US military in the 1990s, which were designed to operate alongside the US's fearsome M1 Abrams. Now an associate professor at the US Naval War College, he also served in Iraq.
Alongside the donation of tanks, the US is also sending 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
A veteran Challenger II commander, who has since worked with the British government and chose to remain anonymous, said the tanks may outdo their excellent track record when sent to Ukraine.
“The Challenger II was built for a north-west Europe specification and I wouldn't anticipate any environmental issues with its operation. If anything, the environment might provide a better combat performance automotive than many [Middle East and North African] theatres,” he said.
In pictures: Nato equipment in Ukraine
Harsh desert conditions mean a lot of maintenance challenges from dust and sand, which forms an abrasive paste with vehicle lubricant, clogs up moving parts and can hinder night vision devices in thick dust storms.
These conditions briefly halted the US armoured drive to Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, despite many tanks being fitted with infrared vision devices which can see through sandstorms.
“Challengers weren't designed to work in the desert and they had quite a lot of problems because of the dust clogging up the air filters on the engines and that's why they got a bit of a bad name for reliability,” said Col Hamish De Bretton-Gordon, who commanded Challenger I tanks during the first Gulf war, and later Challenger 2s in peacetime.
“The desert is a really difficult place for armoured vehicles to work in. And actually, the sand, you know, is almost worse than the mud for driving and you can very easily get bogged down,” he added.
Mr Whiteside said the US M1 Abrams will also probably run more smoothly in Ukraine.
“People were always very worried about the Abrams with its turbine engine in the sands of the desert, and it turned out to work exceptionally well, it just had to change filters a lot.”
Bradleys and Abrams bring the speed
As well as maintenance, the Nato systems also bring capabilities the Ukrainians need to have the edge over Russian forces.
Mr Whiteside said the infantry carrying Bradley has excellent all-round visibility from five periscopes and powerful thermal imagery devices ― which many Russian armoured vehicles lack.
This proved its worth in bloody urban battles such as Fallujah in Iraq and could prove useful for Ukraine, with potential looming urban battles in cities such as Melitopol.
The Bradley was designed to keep up with the remarkably fast M1 Abrams with a top speed of 72 kph giving users a speed advantage.
In deployments in Kuwait, they covered “hundreds of kilometres a day. And it was ridiculous, just how fast we could go,” he said.
“The Bradley was originally designed to complement the Abrams and allow it to have infantry because tanks without infantry, as the Russians clearly demonstrated early in the conflict, means leaving a tank out on its own and vulnerable to a single trained soldier with a light anti-tank weapon that can take it out from behind. We saw video after video of these Russian tanks getting killed because they weren't using combined arms tactics, which is a mix of infantry to protect the tanks and then the shock power of a tank on the attack,” Mr Whiteside added.
Even without these new systems, Ukraine’s military has shown it can employ speed to stun and overwhelm Russian lines.
In less than a week in September, Ukrainian forces regained 6,000 square kilometres of terrain, indicating they are able to make lighting advances, even without top western military equipment.
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
