An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams tank is seen here at a military exercise. Australia is sending 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. (Commonwealth of Australia)
Australia is gifting 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to bolster the latter's ongoing fight against the Russian invasion.
This assistance has been valued at approximately AUD245 million (USD165 million), read a joint media statement issued by Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy on 17 October.
With the latest package, the total value of Australia's military assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion is over AUD1.3 billion and overall support is more than AUD1.5 billion, according to the statement.
Canberra first announced in January 2022 that it would replace the Australian Army's fleet of M1A1 Abrams tanks with the M1A2.
To support the transition, the Australian Army will retain “a small number” of M1A1 Abrams tanks to assist the introduction of the new M1A2 fleet, the statement disclosed without giving a specific number.
Canberra first procured 59 M1A1 Abrams tanks for the Australian Army under a AUD530 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal with the United States that was announced in November 2004.
These tanks replace the Australian Army's then existing fleet of Leopard AS1 vehicles, and the M1A1 Abrams tanks became fully operational in 2007.
In 2022 Canberra announced that it will replace the M1A1 with the M1A2 SEPv3 (Systems Enhancement Package Version 3), and the newer tanks are expected to be introduced into the Australian Army from 2025.
“The M1A1 Abrams tanks have been an important capability for the Australian Army, providing substantial defence against enemy fire and improvised explosive devices,” read the 17 October joint statement.
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