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Australia Completes Transfer of 49 M1A1 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine

A temporary ADF hub in Poland readied each batch in about a week.

Overview

  • The final tranche of 12 tanks was handed over in recent days, completing a multi-stage delivery that began with 37 vehicles in July.
  • ADF personnel conducted inspections and repairs in Poland, covering turrets, weapons, optics and tracks, before passing the tanks to Ukrainian forces.
  • The last shipment departed Geelong in October 2024 on a specialized cargo vessel and took 55 days by sea to reach Europe.
  • The re-export required U.S. approval under ITAR, and U.S. officials previously highlighted sustainment and maintenance challenges for the platform in Ukraine.
  • Australia delivered the vehicles in basic configuration, leaving further fitting-out and upgrades to Ukraine, as part of a broader support package totaling about US$1.7 billion.