An Army M1 Abrams tank named ‘Belligerent’ is currently training for war in Europe
Not bad.
First came ‘A Horse With No Name’; then, there was ‘ASVAB Waiver.’ Now, another specially-named U.S. Army M1 Abrams tank is hard at work in Poland training for a future conflict in Europe: ‘Belligerent’
Photos published by the Pentagon this week show soldiers from Brutal Company, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division training on M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks in Nowa Deba, Poland during a combined arms live fire exercise as part of the Anakonda23 military exercise.
While the Anakonda23 tanks have their 120mm XM256 Smooth Bore Cannons covered in camouflage netting — perfect for the lush greenery of eastern Europe — one particular tank stood out with its uniquely “belligerent” name.
Ever since the first American tanks trundled across European soil in the final days of World War I, service members have been lovingly naming their weapons of war. Those names have become increasingly intricate (and, in some cases, vulgar) in recent years, prompting at least one Army armor formation to release new guidelines on tank names this year.
Anakonda23 will see more than 12,000 Polish troops join with forces from the United States, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Turkey for intensive combined arms training, according to the Polish military.
The sprawling training exercise is billed as Poland’s “premier national exercise that strives to train, integrate and maintain tactical readiness and increase interoperability in a joint multinational environment,” according to the U.S. Army.
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The increasing appearance of American armor at training exercises among NATO countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t just great for deterrence, but for getting allied forces up to speed on the venerable M1 Abrams main battle tank.
U.S. troops will soon begin to train Ukrainian tank crews on the M1 in Germany as the first step toward delivering the tanks to Ukrainian forces in the coming months, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters this week.
The U.S. pledged earlier this year to deliver newer M1A2 models to Ukraine but backpedaled on that promise when it became clear those deliveries could take a year. Instead, the Pentagon now says it will ship refurbished M1A1s to Ukraine much sooner.
“As we’ve discussed previously, this extensive training program for Ukrainian crews and maintainers is intended to prepare them for their critical roles ahead and effectively operating the M1 tank and defending Ukrainian people,” Ryder said.
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