Australia on 19 December delivered the last of 49 promised Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. The tanks may join the 425th Skala Regiment defending Pokrovsk—and arrive as Ukraine faces a sobering reality: 27 of the original 31 American-supplied Abrams are already gone.
“Australia's freshly completed delivery of 49 modified M1A1s on 19 December… arrives as a potential lifeline, enough for one full battalion plus replacements,” said Viktor Kevliuk, a Ukrainian retired military officer and analyst with the Center for Defense Strategies. The 425th is the second Ukrainian unit after the 47th Mechanized Brigade to operate the Abrams.
To keep the Australian tanks longer than the American ones, Ukraine must keep evolving its doctrine. Most of the original batch fell to drones and anti-tank missiles—weapons the Abrams was never prepared to face.
Gone are the days of the kinds of armored engagements in which the Abrams wore a princely crown. In the era of drone warfare, a 60+ ton main battle tank is a magnet for FPVs, which have no trouble breaking through its thinner top armor.
This is especially true for Ukrainian forces. The Abrams is designed for NATO-style combined-arms warfare, where air support, artillery, and mechanized infantry is plentiful. Plagued by personnel and equipment shortages, this is a style of warfare Ukraine cannot emulate.
Since the losses began to escalate, the Abrams has been largely pulled back from frontline assaults. It is now used sparingly, under the cover of night, or electronic jamming, with infantry screening for drones, and artillery suppressing their launch sites.
Rather than a breakthrough weapon of its own, it's now used as more of a mobile fortress to support infantry breakthroughs, Kevliuk told Euromaidan Press.
“In essence, the Abrams remains a force multiplier for Ukraine's arsenal, excelling in shock and sustained fire where drones can't fully replicate,” he said.
Never miss a story.“But its role has pivoted from spearhead to shielded hammer: vital yet veiled, thriving only in a symphony of sensors, jammers, and screens rather than solo glory.”
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The final dozen — upgraded, but could use more modifications
Australia’s most recent shipment consists of a dozen units — the other 37 were delivered in July. The tanks spent two months at sea before landing in a European port and being transferred into Poland, according to ABC.
The tanks Australia donated are 20 years old and have retired from service without having once seen actual combat before now.
Still, compared to the batch of 31 from the US, the Australian tanks are reported to be upgraded M1A1 SA versions of the Abrams.
These feature better imaging and communications packages. However, they lack the depleted uranium armor, which Washington is against exporting. Australia reportedly donated an unspecified amount of reactive armor kits to increase survivability.
Besides reactive armor tiles, Ukrainians have been kitting their Abrams tanks out with cages or steel netting, a common low-tech solution used by both sides to protect against drones.
Other makeshift mods include rubber skirting to protect tracks from spotters and dangling chains to detonate warheads prematurely.
“These add 2-3 tons but don't overload the chassis, and they've proven effective — one crew endured 4-6 direct FPV hits (including fiber-optic guided ones immune to jamming) with no casualties, thanks to the Abrams' compartmentalized design,” Kevliuk said.
Strong but vulnerable
Ukraine lost 87% of its Abrams fleet in less than two years.
The tank’s Ukrainian combat debut came around the defense of Avdiivka in early 2024, where the losses began. The Abrams also made a showing during operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast, helping kill enemy forces holed up in buildings.
“American equipment makes the difference on the battlefield,” the 47th Mechanized Brigade posted at the time, adding that without tank crews' skill, "equipment means nothing."
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However, neither the Abrams’ beefiness, nor the crews' skills was enough to keep the tanks from being destroyed. While one unit lost a duel with a Russian tank, most were reportedly taken out by drones and anti-tank missiles.
While the tanks delivered effective fire support in urban and open terrain, the high attrition rate underscored that tanks are high-value targets.
Ukrainian crews have described the Abrams as a "drone magnet" due to its size, heat signature and logistical footprint, which limits stealthy movement.
The expanding scope, range, and cost-effectiveness of drones, has made life difficult for tank operators from both sides on Ukraine’s battlefields.
The limited number of Abrams tanks — enough for a single battalion — and Ukraine’s shortage of air and artillery support also played a role.
As a result, effective use of these tanks continues to require ongoing adjustments.
“Integrated with Ukraine's growing drone fleet for mutual overwatch, these could tip local engagements, but the killzone's expansion demands ongoing innovation-perhaps AI-driven autonomy or active protection systems-to keep Abrams relevant beyond 2025,” Kevliuk said.
Delivery setbacks
Australia's 49 Abrams tanks were initially delayed in getting to Ukraine by Washington stalling approval, ABC reported in April.
After US President Donald Trump's pivot towards Russia, his administration did not approve new aid to Ukraine, and the lack of transfer clearance was reportedly part of these policies. US skepticism over survivability may have also played a role.
Despite the setback, Canberra had said it would deliver all 49 tanks in 2025, a promise it has just now fulfilled.
The Australian government recently announced $95 million in additional funding for Ukraine's defense.
In total, Australia has contributed $1.7 billion to Ukraine's defences since the start of the full-scale invasion, ranking 35th out of 41 nations in levels of financial support as a percentage of GDP, according to the Kiel Institute.
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