The Army is adding more armor to counter Russia, and soldiers are already testing their new tanks out

The US Army is boosting its presence in Europe, sending troops and tanks to reinforce NATO security and deterrence efforts at a time of increasing tension with Russia.

But the US military is also grappling with a readiness crisis, and to address that problem while reestablishing a presence in Europe, the Army is looking to convert some infantry units to armor. One such unit, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, rolled out its new Abrams tanks at the end of March.

The Army announced the conversion in November 2016. The change-over began in summer 2017, and its completion was marked by a ceremony in October 2017.

"The world has continued to change," 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team commander Col. James Dooghan said at the time. "The overmatch the US Army has enjoyed for the last 70 years is closing quickly across all domains of warfare. To keep pace, the Army continues to adapt its ways of thinking, executing, and organizing."

Below, you can see how some 2ABCT troopers put their new Abrams tanks through their paces in Georgia last month:

The brigade's reorganization involved adding three platforms: the Paladin self-propelled howitzer, the Bradley fighting vehicle, and the Abrams tank. Between August and October 2017, Army engineers built a new, 2.8-acre concrete-pad motor park at Fort Stewart to accommodate the new vehicles.

Source: The Fort Stewart Frontline, US Army release

"We will be mounted on incredibly sophisticated combat equipment," Dooghan said at the ceremony. “Lethality is not merely about platforms — it is about capabilities. And it is our well-trained soldiers who are at the root of our lethality.”

Source: The Fort Stewart Frontline

Soldiers from Delta Tank Company of 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team rolled out their newly acquired M1A1-SA Abrams tanks for gunnery drills at a range at Fort Stewart on March 29.

The unit's 87 M1A1 Abrams tanks come with the situational-awareness configuration, an upgrade to restore older M1A1 tanks to like-new condition and to enhance the tank's armor and add technology to boost crew awareness on the battlefield.

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