Australia donates retiring Abrams to Ukraine
The Australian government has announced it will gift 49 retiring M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to bolster that country’s fight against the Russian invasion.
FILE PHOTO: An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams tank during Exercise Jericho Dawn 2016. Photo by Sergeant Pete Gammie.
This latest package, valued at approximately $245 million, will add to the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s firepower and mobility, and complement partners’ support for Ukraine’s armoured brigades – and brings the total value of Australia’s military assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion to more than $1.3 billion, and overall support to more than $1.5 billion.
Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy will be at the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels and will confirm this news directly with his Ukrainian counterpart.
“These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine,” Mr Conroy said.
“As we face a challenging geostrategic environment, it is important that we continue to work together with our partners around the world to deter aggression and coercion and protect the global rules-based order.
“The M1A1 Abrams tanks have been an important capability for the Australian Army and will see both the capability and resistance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine further bolstered.
“As was announced in January 2022, the Australian Army M1A1 Abrams are being replaced by an M1A2 fleet.
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 Australian Defence Force also continues to make significant contributions to multinational efforts to train Ukrainian military personnel under Operation Kudu.
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Happy to support Ukraine but our own RAAC reserve regiments have been running around in land rovers and sometimes bushmasters for decades. Why haven’t we equipped them with the older Abrams given everyone agrees we are at a very risky point near to conflict? It’s like the horrendous decision to put all our Leopards on plinths outside RSLs when other countries have updated them for service in Ukraine.
Close, but no cigar……lifted from Wikipedia – The only completed An-225 was destroyed in the Battle of Antonov Airport in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to complete the second An-225 to replace the destroyed aircraft
Yeah, but there are 20-odd AN124 still in service – and they can carry 150tonnes of cargo.
Sending weapons to a conflict which is none of our business may well comeback to haunt us. Currently none of the Abrahams have made any real impact. Along with the challengers. To heavy and can’t be maintained in the field. Sad truth this is just pulling us into a conflict we should have nothing to do with.
Agree with the comments from Peter J. I would assume more taxpayer money used to ship them over in stages, there’s far to many to do it all at once.
Not if they use Hmas Canberra or Adelaide to transport them. After all that is their main roll.
If the Canberra or Adelaide are used to transport the tanks, they would become vulnerable to attack when they get close in the Black Sea. They would have to be offloaded at some distance then transported or driven into Ukraine. The two ships are enormous targets but who knows if Russia would try to stop the shipment.
A very generous hand over to Ukraine but the big question is ‘How will they get them there?’
That’s a good question I also asked myself.
Let’s speculate…
One at a time via Antenov, or all at once by ship (military or merchant)?
In any case, it will be no small feat – and not quick to the battle.