Ukraine to receive aging Abrams tanks in latest Australian military aid package

Dozens of soon-to-be-retired Australian Abrams tanks will be sent to Ukraine under a $245 million military support package to bolster the war-torn country’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

More than a year after Kyiv first expressed interest in the aging M1A1 fleet, and months after Australia rejected a request to donate its grounded Taipan helicopters, the Albanese government has confirmed it will now gift 49 of the American-made tanks.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, who is attending a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels this week, will brief his Ukrainian counterpart directly about the latest support package.

“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion,” Mr Conroy said while in London, where he’s meeting members of the UK government before travelling to NATO.

“These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine’s armoured brigades — Australia has been steadfast in our support for Ukraine.”

“As we face a challenging geo-strategic 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.”

Mr Conroy told reporters it was “time to move on” from the controversy over the Australian Army’s decision to strip and bury its Taipan helicopters instead of agreeing to a formal request from Ukraine for the grounded aircraft.

In recent weeks, Australia has received the first of its 75 newer M1A2 tanks, which will eventually replace the army’s fleet of 59 older M1A1 vehicles that have never been used in combat.

Australia’s transfer of its aging Abrams to a “third country” has required permission from the United States under its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) despite Washington last year sending 31 of its own M1A1 tanks to Ukraine.

As Australia’s older M1A1 vehicles are reaching the end of their life, a small number will require remediation work before being delivered to Europe, or they could simply be sent quickly to Ukraine and used for spare parts or other roles.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has welcomed the donation of Australia’s Abrams tanks, describing the move as a “significant contribution” that will save lives in his country.

“These tanks will be an essential part of our land defences, and we have already been operating some of those tanks, which we’ve been provided by the Americans in the past, so we already have teams of people who know how to use that equipment,” the ambassador told the ABC.

“The armour they have, the missiles that they also use will be of huge help to Ukrainians on the battlefield, especially where we build those defence lines.”

Ukraine-based defence consultant JC Dodson, who helped with the initial negotiations to transfer Australia’s Abrams, says the vehicles should arrive at the battlefront at a faster rate than normal.

“One of the unique elements of the Australian tanks is that they’re in reasonably good working order. The fact the Ukrainians already have some M1A1s in theatre from the allies suggests there’s a good logistics chain there as well as some training,” he told the ABC.

The latest announcement will bring the total value of Australia’s military assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war to more than $1.3 billion, while overall government support now tops $1.5 billion.