As part of a new military aid package, Australia has confirmed the transfer of 49 of its M1A1 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will be replaced by the more modern M1A2 SEPv3 tanks acquired from the United States for the Australian Army. This transfer, amounting to a total of $245 million, had been under negotiation for months, with the Ukrainian government seeking the donation of 59 units to strengthen its armored capabilities.
Expressing gratitude for the Australian government’s assistance, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, stated in an official communiqué: “This support package is very timely, substantial, and combat-ready. Attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory have increased by approximately 20% in the last three months, comparable to the highest level in 2024 (…) Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and bring the conflict to a just conclusion is largely due to the significant and ongoing support from those nations, including Australia, that also believe in democracy, respect for international borders, and a rules-based international order.”
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles also declared: “Australia’s support for Ukraine has not wavered since Russia’s illegal invasion, and Australia will continue to support Ukraine (…) This is the latest support package announced by the Albanese Government, bringing our total commitment to Ukraine to over $1.5 billion.”
It should be noted that on previous occasions, Ukraine’s requests for M1A1 Abrams tanks had been rejected by Canberra due to the high logistical costs associated with their shipment; the tanks had to be transported to the U.S. before being sent to Ukraine. An illustrative example occurred in May 2023 when Kyiv requested the donation of 14 tanks from the Australian Army.
As mentioned earlier, it is important to consider that Australia had already committed in 2022 to an investment of more than $3.5 billion under the Main Battle Tank Upgrade and Combat Engineering Vehicle program, which stipulates the purchase of 75 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to replace the 59 M1A1 Abrams acquired in 2007. As previously reported, this is part of a broader armored capability renewal plan, with an estimated investment exceeding $18 billion, notably aimed at the infantry fighting vehicle fleet.
From an operational standpoint, the transfer of the 49 Australian M1A1 tanks represents a boost and reinforcement for Ukraine’s current Abrams fleet, which had been provided by the United States, primarily from U.S. Marine Corps stock. Of the 31 units received in 2023, reports indicate that several units have been lost in combat, with the Russian Ground Forces even confirming the capture of one tank.
Although specific timelines were not provided, given the experience gained by Ukrainian crews, including local modifications to the model and the adoption of reactive armor kits, the integration of the tanks is expected to take less time than the batch transferred by the United States.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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