What You Need to Know: The first 25 Polish soldiers completed their nine-week training in maintaining the M1A2 SEPV3 Abrams tank at the newly built Army Pre-position Stocks-2 (APS-2) facility in Powidz, Poland.

-This facility, located about 250 miles from the Ukrainian border, serves as a state-of-the-art depot for storing and maintaining armored vehicles.

-Built with NATO and U.S. collaboration, the complex cost $360 million and enhances Poland’s defense readiness. The soldiers' training strengthens Poland’s ability to operate and maintain the U.S.-designed tanks, bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.

First Polish Soldiers Completed M1 Abrams Tank Maintenance Training

Today's main battle tanks (MBTs) are some of the most advanced ground-based combat systems anywhere in the world. But despite being huge metal behemoths armed with serious firepower, the tanks are still complex machines that require a significant amount of care.

Just as today's cars still require routine maintenance and upkeep, so too do tanks like the U.S.-designed M1 Abrams. In fact, the American-built tank is especially noteworthy for being a complicated platform to maintain, which is why earlier this year, the U.S. military helped in the construction of a special facility in Poland to serve as a remote repair complex.

This week, the first 25 Polish servicemembers completed training at the facility.

The APS-2 Worksite

The Army Pre-position Stocks-2 (APS-2) – located in Powidz about 250 miles from the Ukrainian border – is a state-of-the-art depot that includes 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space that can be used for storage and maintenance of a variety of armored vehicles.

"This is the premiere facility when it comes to prepositioned stocks," said Col. Ernest Lane II, the 405 Army Field Support Brigade commander earlier this year. "What makes this facility so important is the relationship between U.S., NATO, and Polish partners. This facility allows us to maintain readiness while working by, with, and through our partners."

Costing more than $360 million, the new specially-designed structure can house an armored brigade combat team – consisting of around 85 MBTs, 190 additional armored combat vehicles including the M2 Bradley, 35 artillery pieces, and four armored vehicle-launched bridges. It can also provide storage for a significant amount of ordnance in a 58,000-square-foot munitions area.

"The construction of the Powidz APS-2 Worksite represents the U.S. and NATO's commitment to maintaining rapid deployment capabilities while deterring potential adversaries through enduring agreements and strategic investments," the U.S. Army explained in a statement.

Nine Weeks of Training

On Tuesday, the U.S. Army reported that the more than two dozen Polish soldiers completed their "nine weeks of intensive maintenance training on the M1A2 SEPV3 Abrams main battle tank – both in the classroom and hands-on… under  the watchful and expert instruction of several primary training facilitators from U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command."

The U.S. Army further noted that the "pass rate" for the trainees was 96%. The two top trainees who completed the program were awarded special M1A2 Abrams tank belt buckles, while the next three trainees received "commander's coins."

"The maintenance training conducted at the Powidz APS-2 worksite was equivalent to the training provided to the Army’s military occupational specialty 91A, M1 Abrams Tank System Maintainer," the Army announced.

Phase Two for APS-2

Now that the first two dozen Polish troops have been trained, the APS-2 worksite will begin its second phase, which consists of "supervised hands-on maintenance of the M1A2 SEPV3 Abrams main battle tank fleet at the site."

The training will not only help the Polish military, which is on track to adopt the M1 Abrams – but to strengthen NATO's eastern flank by ensuring that the advanced MBTs can be maintained and even repaired if necessary.

"This is one of the most important missions for the Polish military right now," said Polish Lt. Col. Przemel Musiej, the officer in charge of the site's PPLS military workforce. "This is the first site of its kind in Poland, and for us this complex demonstrates the strong partnership we have with the U.S. and NATO."

The U.S. Army currently operates pre-positioned stock sites in seven regions around the world, with six in Europe. The Powidz APS-2 facility is the only such deployment depot east of Berlin, and it could reportedly reduce the deployment timelines for NATO armor in Eastern Europe from more than 60 days to just a week.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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