Camilla Jessen
Australia is going ahead with a plan to send 49 old Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
Australia has begun loading the first batch of 49 retired M1A1 Abrams tanks onto a cargo ship for delivery to Ukraine, ABC News (Australia) reported on May 19. T
he move follows months of behind-the-scenes tension with U.S. officials, who reportedly raised repeated concerns about the tanks’ effectiveness in Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia.
The delivery was confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on May 18.
The exact arrival date remains classified for security reasons.
The shipment comes despite ongoing unease from the United States, which initially delayed approval of the transfer due to doubts about the tanks’ combat usefulness, vulnerability to drones, and maintenance complexity in a high-intensity warzone.
According to ABC, at least one unnamed U.S. official questioned whether the Abrams tanks are even wanted by Ukraine, citing concerns about their weak roof armor and potential logistical burdens. One Australian defense source reportedly echoed these concerns, stating there was uncertainty about Kyiv’s level of interest in the older vehicles.
Eventually, however, Washington granted permission for the U.S.-made tanks to be sent from Australia to Ukraine—suggesting an uneasy compromise behind the scenes.
Australia first pledged the 49 tanks in October 2024 as part of a broader military support package. The tanks are surplus units, recently decommissioned by the Australian Defense Force and replaced by newer models.
Ukraine had earlier received 31 Abrams tanks directly from the Biden administration in late 2023. However, their performance on the battlefield has been mixed.
An April 2024 report from the Associated Press suggested Ukrainian forces had begun pulling the tanks from the front lines due to their visibility and vulnerability to Russian drones—a claim the Ukrainian military denied.