Australia Sent M1 Abrams Tank to Ukraine to Fight Russia and America Is Upset

Biden’s Favorite Tanks May Be Hindering Ukraine – U.S. officials have raised objections to Australia’s decision to send dozens of decommissioned M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, as concerns mount over the practicality and survivability of the vehicles on the modern battlefield.

The shipment of 49 tanks was confirmed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome on Sunday.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the first batch has already been loaded onto cargo ships, though their exact arrival date remains undisclosed for security reasons.

M1 Abrams Tanks: Will This Help Ukraine?

While the delivery of decommissioned M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine marks a significant augmentation to Kyiv’s armored capabilities, the time it will take for the tanks to be delivered and fully deployed remains unclear.

The integration of the tanks into Ukraine’s military operations will prove complex, too.

While Ukrainian crews have previously undergone training on U.S.-supplied M1A1 Abrams tanks in Germany, completing a 12-week program that included combined arms exercises, the Australian variant may have some different configurations that could require additional training.

Maintenance and logistical support also pose further challenges for Ukraine. Maintaining these tanks has already proven a challenge for Ukrainian forces, particularly given the lack of a steady supply of spare parts.

It’s worth noting, too, that Ukraine’s shift towards drone warfare and the use of precision-guided munitions means that, while the tanks are useful, they may also not be immediately deployed – or, at least, deployed in traditional ways.

What the U.S. Said

In response to the news, one U.S. official told ABC that the U.S. government had “warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they get to the battlefield the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain.”

Washington has repeatedly warned that using these tanks could cause operational difficulties in Ukraine, particularly in Ukraine’s combat conditions.

The tanks, which were once hailed as a centerpiece of U.S. aid during the Biden administration, have so far seen limited success in Ukraine, with some reports from last year suggesting that they were being pulled from the frontlines due to vulnerability to Russian drone detection.

The Pentagon has declined to comment on internal conversations with allied nations on the matter, but Newsweek reported that Australia ultimately required and received U.S. approval to re-export the tanks in the first place.

About the Author:

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.