Earlier, Australia's defense department announced the delivery first batch of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. Although not all 49 have arrived yet, it already allows us to assess how quickly the process has been going, especially since there's a clear reference point.
For a reminder, the United States had handed its own Abrams over to Ukraine in 2023, although numbers differ: the U.S. had allocated 31 tanks.
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Notably, the first Ukrainian requests for M1 Abrams from the Australian government also dates back to 2023, followed by the second one submitted at the beginning of 2024. However, the official decision to supply the tanks wasn’t made until October 2024.
Even after that, the handover process faced complications. In March 2025, during the temporary halt of U.S. military aid to Ukraine by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration, Australia acknowledged that the transfer of its Abrams could be affected by and dependent on Washington's decisions.
By the end of April, the tanks still hadn't been shipped, raising questions about whether they would arrive at all. Finally, in mid-May, it was reported that Australia had begun loading the tanks for sending to Ukraine.
In total, from the October 2024 decision to the final expected shipments in the coming months, the transfer will have taken roughly 11–12 months.
For comparison, the United States delivered its 31 tanks over a similar period. The transfer was announced in early 2023, with the first tank arriving in September and the full supply completed by October that same year.
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