Regardless of our view on US support for Ukraine - I want to ask a very practical question -
Why? Gas-turbine tanks consume FAR more fuel than any other model in the world - that requires FAR more support structure and supplies, and that will also require many months of training, both for tank crews and an army of support and logistics crews.
And of course - a rather odd number - 31?
Answer: Jet fuel is preferred by the M1A1 will run on anything: gasoline diesel etc. M1A1 is more fuel efficient than Leopards, which consume even more fuel. Leopards have to be returned to Germany for maintenance and parts - its how they are contracted in Germany.
All of the training, operation, parts, maintenance is included in the M1A1 package. The number has to do with how they will be deployed and rotated.
The 31st one is the display model, to aide in sales. Would you buy one sight unseen with out first kicking the treads?
Why? ...it consumes FAR more fuel than any other model in the world - that requires FAR more support...
>>>>>
True, you are right.
However, the primary goal of sending the Abrams tanks goes beyond the technical logic you just wrote about.
The US shipments of Abrams tanks to Ukraine is more like a symbolic gesture.
It’s foremost a show of political will and unity with Europe against the Russia-Chechnya-Belarus-North Korea-IRAN-CSTO coalition attacking Ukraine.
Also, Germany had said all along it wouldn’t send its own tanks if the USA didn’t symbolically do the same. So... now the USA is doing just that, and consequently Germany is unlocking all export restrictions that plagued the great Leopard 2 tanks. Germany and many other EU nations are now sending the Leopards to stop Russia from further land-grabbing.