Australia will send a batch of Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a new $245 million military aid package.
This was reported by ABC news.
‘We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in its fight against Russia's illegal invasion. These tanks will provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with greater firepower and mobility and complement the support our partners are providing to Ukrainian armoured brigades - Australia remains steadfast in our support for Ukraine,’ Australian Defence Minister Pat Conroy said during a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels.
The day before, Australia received the first of 75 new M1A2 tanks to replace the army's fleet of 59 old M1A1s that have never been used in combat.
Australia's transfer of its outdated Abrams to a ‘third country’ requires US approval under its international arms trade rules, despite the fact that Washington sent 31 of its own M1A1 tanks to Ukraine last year.
As Australia's old M1A1 tanks reach the end of their useful life, a small number of them will need to be repaired before being shipped to Europe, or they could simply be quickly shipped to Ukraine and used for spare parts or other purposes.
The Australian government had previously rejected Ukraine's request to hand over its Taipan helicopters, which would simply be scrapped and buried, and Conroy said it was ‘time to move on’ from the controversy surrounding the decision.
Together with this announced aid, the total value of Australia's assistance to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war will exceed $1.5 billion.