Retired Abrams tanks head to Ukraine from Australia despite US criticism

The Australian government has begun shipment of the retired M1A1 Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine. Although the US has given its approval, American officials have privately criticised the move given the challenges of maintaining the tanks.

Source: Australian public broadcaster ABC

Details: During a meeting in Rome, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the latter confirmed that the fleet of used M1A1 vehicles was already en route.

The data obtained by ABC indicates that the process of loading the first of 49 vehicles onto a cargo ship has recently begun, but the government will not discuss their current location or expected arrival date in Europe for "security reasons".

Before the delivery process could begin, Australia had to wait for Washington’s approval, which was granted despite US officials being privately unhappy with the move.

"Last year, even before Donald Trump returned as president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain," one US official told ABC on condition of anonymity.

Last month, a representative of Australia’s Defence Ministry stated that there were concerns that sending large tanks to Ukraine might not be the best way to provide military aid to the war-torn country.

"We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war," the official said.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday refused to say whether US officials had raised concerns about the donation.

"We've been working very closely with Ukraine, very closely with the United States, to see this shipment occur and to see the tanks be on their way," he told reporters. "The first tranche has been on their way now for some time but I'm not going to go into the specific details of that."

Background:

• In October 2024, it was reported that Australia would send 49 soon-to-be-retired Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a military aid package worth AU$245 million. Australia's transfer of its obsolete Abrams to a "third country" requires US approval under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
• In April, ABC reported that Australia was delaying the transfer of the M1A1 Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine as part of the AU$245 million aid package due to US resistance to granting export permission for the armoured vehicles.

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