Australia has in recent weeks received the first of its 75 new M1A2 tanks, which will eventually replace the army’s fleet of 59 older M1A1 vehicles that were never used in combat and were planned to be given to Ukraine.
As the ABC writes, Australia’s transfer of its ageing Abrams tanks to a “third country” required authorisation from the US under its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), despite Washington sending 31 of its own M1A1 tanks to Ukraine last year.
As the Australian M1A1s reach the end of their service life, a small number of them will require repair work before delivery to Europe, or they could simply be quickly shipped to Ukraine and used as spare parts or for other purposes.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Miroshnichenko, welcomed the transfer of the Abrams tanks, calling the move a “significant contribution”.
Dozens of Australia’s soon-to-be-replaced Abrams tanks will be sent to Ukraine as part of a $245 million military support package. It comes more than a year after Kiev first expressed interest in the ageing M1A1 fleet, and months after Australia rejected a request to hand over its Taipan helicopters.