More than six months after they were pledged as part of a military aid package to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a batch of 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks from Australia has yet to be delivered—a delay that, according to Canberra officials familiar with the matter, is due to U.S. resistance to moving forward with the transfer. The tanks are part of a more than $245 million aid package announced by the Australian government in October of last year. The Australian Army already operates a significant portion of its newly acquired M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams fleet, purchased in 2022 to replace the M1A1 units promised to Kyiv.
The news was reported by local outlet ABC, which stated that delays in the tank transfer gained momentum after current U.S. President Donald Trump decided to freeze military aid to Ukraine—a decision later reversed as part of a ceasefire agreement. It is worth noting that, although the tanks are under the control of the Australian Army, Washington must authorize this type of transfer, and such approval has yet to reach Canberra.
Additionally, anonymous officials from Australia’s Ministry of Defence have expressed doubts about whether the shipment would truly be useful to Ukraine’s war effort, citing the high logistical costs of operating and maintaining the tanks. They also stated: “We’re starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles—the tank’s roof is the weakest point of the Abrams, and this is a drone war.”
Furthermore, Defence Ministry officials consulted on the matter mentioned the possibility that the warring parties might reach a peace agreement that would render the delivery irrelevant. They also argued that there is a lack of personnel to supervise the shipment by sea. However, it’s important to note that Ukraine is not currently in a strong military position to engage in negotiations on favorable terms, while Russia has remained reluctant to accept peace proposals that would bring an end to the war it launched in 2022, as they do not address its core political and security demands.
Complicating Ukraine’s already weak negotiating position, the United States—through Vice President JD Vance—has publicly declared a stance directly opposed to pursuing a prolonged conflict aimed at Russian collapse. Instead, he affirmed that ending the war as quickly as possible is a key goal of the Republican administration, which makes a swift approval for Australia to send its tanks seem unlikely. Despite this, and without offering further details, Canberra’s official position remains that it “will proceed with the delivery of the M1A1 Abrams in 2025.”
*Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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