The Australian Army is decommissioning its remaining M1A1 Abrams tanks, which will be replaced in 2025 by the M1A2 SEPv3 tanks from the U.S., ordered in 2022. This decommissioning includes the tanks that Ukraine had previously requested for potential transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Australian Department of Defense announced that the last of the M1A1 Abrams tanks, previously in service with the 2/14th Light Horse Regiment and stationed at the Brisbane base, were decommissioned at the end of July this year. Notably, the incoming M1A2 SEPv3 tanks from the U.S. will be stationed further north, at the Townsville base, as detailed in the Australian Department of Defense’s White Paper for 2024, according to Janes.
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To provide some context, at the beginning of 2024, the Australian Army had 59 M1A1 Abrams tanks, which were considered outdated. Ukrainian diplomacy made a second public request for their potential transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Australian government declined, citing several reasons.
Firstly, the decommissioned tanks would need to be sent to the U.S. for repairs before they could be transferred to Ukrainian forces. Secondly, the Australian authorities wanted to follow a sequence where the new tanks from the U.S. would arrive first, allowing the old Abrams tanks to be decommissioned afterward. However, this sequence was disrupted for unknown reasons.
Therefore, it is quite possible that the decommissioned Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks could eventually become another source of armored vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Read more: Ukraine War Experience Helps U.S. to Ensure Future Abrams and Bradley Replacements Aren't "Dead on Arrival"
