In a move that’s ruffled feathers on both sides of the Pacific, Australia has kicked off the delivery of 49 retired M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine—though the fanfare is being met with plenty of skepticism behind closed doors, particularly in Washington.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the shipment during a Sunday sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome. While the tanks are already being loaded onto a cargo vessel, officials are keeping mum on the specifics, citing operational security. Still, the announcement didn’t land smoothly in every circle.
Getting those tanks out of storage and into the warzone wasn’t just a matter of packing crates. Because the Abrams are originally American-made, Australia had to secure a green light from the United States—and while Washington did eventually say yes, it reportedly did so with a healthy dose of irritation.
“We warned them this wouldn’t be easy,” one unnamed U.S. official told ABC, adding that Ukraine may struggle to maintain the tanks once they arrive. “This isn’t just about shipping steel—it’s about keeping that steel rolling once it hits the mud.”
Australian defense insiders aren’t exactly thrilled either. According to ABC’s reporting, there’s concern the Ukrainians might not even want the tanks. One source pointed out the Abrams’ notorious vulnerability: “The roof is its weak spot, and this is a drone war. That’s a recipe for trouble.”
This isn’t the first time Abrams tanks have faced problems in Ukraine. Back in 2023, the U.S.—then under President Biden—shipped over 30 of them to Kyiv. But despite their hefty price tag (around $10 million each), they’ve reportedly struggled in the field, facing everything from drone attacks to unforgiving terrain. Russia claims to have knocked out several and even displayed a captured Abrams at a military expo in Moscow this past May, along with other seized Western weapons.
Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly blasted Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing they merely drag out the conflict without changing its trajectory.
With Washington gritting its teeth, Canberra second-guessing the plan, and Kyiv tight-lipped on its enthusiasm, this latest transfer raises more questions than answers. One thing’s clear: sending tanks is the easy part—keeping them in the fight is another story entirely.
