Ukraine Is Getting 49 More M1 Abrams Tanks from Australia

Australia is sending dozens of M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, significantly boosting the country’s tank fleet and combat capabilities. 

Australia is sending dozens of M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, significantly boosting the country’s tank fleet and combat capabilities. 

Australian defense officials revealed that Canberra is sending forty-nine M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv, making it the largest transfer of the most advanced main battle tank to Ukraine.  

M1 Abrams From Down Under  

Ukrainian armored and mechanized units can look forward to some positive news as forty-nine M1A1 Abrams are heading to Ukraine. Sporting a 120mm main gun and advanced armor, the M1A1 Abrams can tackle anything the Russian military can throw at it.  

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression,” Pat Conroy, the Australian minister for defense industry and capability, said during a press conference in London on Wednesday. “With this illegal invasion, Russia is trying to take us back to a world where only great powers are truly sovereign and their actions are above the law. 

The official announcement of the transfer will take place tomorrow during the NATO Defense Ministerial conference in Brussels, Belgium. With this transfer, Australia has committed military assistance to Ukraine worth around $1.3 billion.  

Canberra decided to transfer the forty-nine M1 Abrams to Ukraine because the new M1A2 Abrams will be arriving soon. In 2022, Australia signed a contract worth $3.5 billion for the purchase of 120 M1A2 Abrams.  

“This is not a world where the people of Australia or the people of the United Kingdom would thrive. That is why we are so committed to supporting Ukraine, to end the conflict on its terms,” the Australian official added. 

Before greenlighting the transfer, Australia needed Washington's permission because it had initially bought the tanks from the U.S.  

Ukraine has received a hodgepodge of tanks from the West. The Ukrainian forces are currently operating M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, Leopard 1, and Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The addition of the Australian M1 Abrams will greatly improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian military. The U.S.-made Abrams is the most advanced tank in the world, though the version Ukraine will be getting isn’t the latest.  

The United States has already sent Ukraine thirty-one M1 Abrams. Despite their advanced defenses, some tanks have been lost to Russian fire, with suicide drones proving particularly deadly. The Australian tanks would need to be outfitted for the particular rigors of the Ukrainian battlefield, but the process shouldn’t take too long as Ukrainian techs are already accustomed to servicing the tank.  

Ukraine had been pushing Australia to release the tanks for quite some time. Last month, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, highlighted that the Ukrainian military could use any equipment it could get from its international partners.  

“Ukraine has been asking for decommissioned equipment, any sort of help. Australian support has been great so far. What is important is that it continues to be so,” he said. 

“Australia’s support for Ukraine has not wavered since Russia’s illegal invasion, and Australia will continue standing with Ukraine,” Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said. 

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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