The soldier previously served as a tank crewmember with the 1st Armored Division, with access to the Abrams’ functions.
An active duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, has been arrested on charges of attempting to leak classified information surrounding the service’s M1 Abrams tank to Russia. According to prosecutors, the soldier offered secretive technical information about the M1A2 iteration of the main battle tank (MBT) to Russian sources online in June. The soldier, Taylor Adam Lee, reportedly said online that “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and said, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.” Lee allegedly discussed providing the Russian source with a specific component of the Abrams MBT. In late July, Lee apparently followed through on this action and wrote to the Russian representative, “Mission accomplished.” Lee previously served as a tank crewmember with the 1st Armored Division, which would have provided the soldier with access to the inner workings of the service’s MBT functions.
The M1 Abrams series of tanks has remained a cornerstone of the US armored corps for decades. Over the last two years, the United States and its NATO allies have delivered a variety of advanced Western tanks to aid Ukraine’s defensive efforts against Russia’s invasion. Considering that Kyiv is currently using M1 Abrams tanks on the frontlines of the war, Moscow’s interest in acquiring illicit intelligence about the platform is likely high. Today, Ukraine reportedly possesses 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks. Australia has also pledged to deliver 49 additional Abrams MBTs this summer.
Introducing the Abrams Family of Tanks
Widely recognized as battlefield warriors, the American-made Abrams MBTs have a highly respected reputation. In fact, very few weapons in the US Armed Forces’ inventory have been around for four decades without being replaced. The Abrams, however, is here to stay. The tank platform was initially developed by Chrysler Defense (currently General Dynamics) during the Cold War. Previously, the US Army and its West German counterparts were set to design a joint tank series. The new collaborative armored vehicle was intended to replace the dated M60 MBT. Ultimately, though, the joint effort was nixed, and the Abrams was born.
Designed first and foremost to survive in battle, the Abrams tank came equipped with Chobham composite armor. This top-notch material made the MBT extremely challenging to penetrate. Notably, all Abrams iterations feature two feet of this armor, significantly greater than the four inches of armor provided on preceding tanks. In addition to becoming the first MBT of its kind to feature this advanced armor, the Abrams was also armed with the new license-built M68A1 version of the 105mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun.
Over the last four decades, multiple modification packages have been incorporated into the Abrams series, enabling these tanks to remain relevant in the modern era. The Army is currently developing a next-generation iteration of this MBT series, dubbed the AbramsX. While specs and details surrounding this new variant have yet to be divulged, analysts expect the AbramsX to host advanced capabilities like a new hybrid electric diesel engine and even more durable armor.
About the author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
