A fleet of retired tanks the Albanese government pledged to Ukraine last year remains stuck in Australia, with defence figures in part blaming resistance from the United States for their delayed transfer.
More than six months after the donation of the M1A1 Abrams was first announced as part of a $245 million Australian military aid package, the ABC can reveal the aging army vehicles are still awaiting final clearance to be shipped overseas.
Last month the ABC first reported on complications with the planned transferof the American made tanks after US President Donald Trump placed a temporary freeze on military assistance to the war-torn nation.
Now defence figures with knowledge of the situation claim the process is facing further uncertainty because formal permission that must be given by the US before the M1A1 vehicles can be handed over to another nation has not yet been granted.