The primary tranche of M1A1 Abrams tanks donated by Australia to the Ukrainian Armed Forces have arrived within the nation, three weeks after the primary pictures confirmed the autos’ arrival in Poland in transit. The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that almost all of the 49 tanks donated have been obtained, with the rest scheduled to reach within the following months. Commenting on the supply, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles reported: “The M1A1 Abrams tanks will make a major contribution to Ukraine’s ongoing combat in opposition to Russia’s unlawful and immoral invasion… Australia stays steadfast in our assist for Ukraine and seeing a simply and lasting peace.” The tanks in query have been retired by the Australian Army, which has transitioned its tank items to function the fashionable M1A2 SEPv3 variant.
Additional commenting on the switch, Minister for Defence Business Pat Conroy noticed: “Australia stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine. These modified M1A1 Abrams tanks will ship extra firepower and extra mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They meet a direct request from the Ukrainian Authorities and kind a part of Australia’s unwavering dedication to guard the worldwide rules-based order.” Marles praised the Australian Army personnel concerned in facilitating the supply, stating: “I used to be happy to satisfy the Australian Army personnel who helped facilitate the supply of those tanks from Australia to Ukraine.” Australia is barely nation within the Western world that has a surplus of export-configured Abrams tanks, with Poland, which is the one different Western nation to have ordered the autos, having begun receiving them solely within the 2020s. This locations Canberra in a novel place to have the ability to provide the autos.
Plans to produce Abrams tanks have been first introduced by Canberra in October 2024, though a variety of sources subsequently reported {that a} lack of authorisation from the USA to switch them to Ukraine was a significant factor delaying their supply. In contrast to the 31 newly constructed Abrams tanks beforehand transferred by the USA, the 49 further tanks from Australia have already seen a long time of service and are thought-about throughly worn out, which is predicted to considerably scale back their availability charges and improve upkeep necessities. Talking to ABC News, one knowledgeable American supply with inside data of the switch warned on this foundation that the Ukrainian Army would discover the autos “troublesome to maintain.” The survivability of the Abrams in Ukraine has additionally been dropped at query, with the autos having suffered very excessive charges of attrition. By early June 2025 the Ukrainian Army wasassessed to have misplaced 87 p.c of the American sourced tanks with 27 of the 31 autos destroyed or captured.
