Ukraine expects to receive decommissioned Australian Abrams

Ukraine may soon receive decommissioned Australian Abrams tanks: Canberra is working on a plan with Washington.

Sources of the Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles had discussed with the Ukrainian government “a number of possibilities” for sending tanks.

“There are a number of possibilities that we are talking about with the Ukrainian government,” the official emphasized last month.

Peter Leahy, who headed the Austrian army from 2003 to 2008 and oversaw the introduction of M1A1 Abrams tanks, said that he had been “surprised” that Australia had not been willing to provide Ukraine with Abrams.

“Although we are decommissioning them, this is a very reliable tank, it should have been well maintained, it has spare parts… We have to load them on a ship and ship them there,” he added.

Former Defense Ministry official Michael Shawbridge emphasized that the tanks were “in good shape.”

“Ukrainians are fighting a war for national survival, so we must get them there as soon as possible,” he added.

Ukraine has submitted a request twice, the first time in May 2023. Ukraine asked for the transfer of 14 tanks and crew training for these vehicles. The Australian government effectively rejected the request.

Australia initially said that the decommissioned tanks should had been sent to the United States for repair before being handed over to Ukraine.

Another argument was that the Abrams were supposedly going to be replaced gradually: first wait for new vehicles and then “decommission” old tanks.

This refers to 59 M1A1 Abrams tanks that were written off in July this year, purchased from the United States in 2004 for 550 million Australian dollars ($340 million).

They will be replaced by improved M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks.