The last batch of factory refurbished M1A1 tanks has been unloaded at the port of Swinoujscie

As reported, among others, by the ‘Wojsko Polskie’ portal and – on social media – by Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Polish Army, the last shipment of factory-refurbished M1A1 Abrams tanks arrived in Poland on 26 June.

As in the case of most of the deliveries to date, according to PortalMorski.pl’s reconnaissance, this last one was also carried out by a multipurpose ship adapted to carrying heavy and bulky cargo, belonging to the Dutch shipowner Spliethoff. This time it was the Sampogracht (IMO No. 9288071; deadweight 23,741 t, GT 18,321), nota bene built in 2005 by Stocznia Szczecinska Nowa Sp. z o.o.

The ship arrived in Świnoujście on 26 June this year around midday. Prior to that, it had docked in two US ports – Charleston (13-15 June) and Jacksonville (3-12 June).

The tanks and workshop vehicles it delivered were unloaded at Swinoujscie’s Euro Terminal Sp. z o.o. at a quay named Unloading.

The fourth tranche, which has just been completed, included the delivery of 47 M1A1 Abrams tanks, purchased last January, for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces, a stock of consumables and 26 M1152A1B2 HMMWV workshop vehicles.

This was the last delivery of M1A1 Abrams (out of a total of 116) before the start of supplying the Polish Armed Forces with the newly-produced M1A2 SEP v. 3 basic tanks, of which the previous government had ordered 250.

The contract for the delivery of the former was signed on 4 January 2023, while the contract for the M1A2 tanks was concluded on 5 April 2022.

On 28 June 2023, the first batch consisting of 14 M1A1 tanks and three M88A2 Hercules technical protection vehicles was taken over.
On 21 November 2023, the Tank and Automotive Service Day, a ship with 26 M1A1 Abrams tanks and nine M88A2 Hercules technical protection vehicles arrived. In turn, a third shipment consisting of 29 M1A1 tanks arrived on 6 January.

Source: PortalMorski.pl