Australia to donate M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

In a major victory for all supporters of Ukraine, the government is set to announce it will gift 49 Abrams main battle tanks to help fight back against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion.  It is expected that Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy, will make the offer to his Ukrainian counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels. The government says that the package is worth $245 million, but more importantly will add to the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s firepower and mobility and complement partners’ support for Ukraine’s armoured brigades.  It is possible that some of the tanks will require upgrades before they are transferred – or they could be cannibalised to support the majority of the vehicles being donated.  The government is open to either solution and will discuss the best way forward with Kyiv. Minister Conroy said: “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion. “These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine. “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.” Australia is in the process of purchasing 75 refurbished newer M1A2s and retired the existing fleet in July.  Army will keep a small number of the older model Abrams for training and transition purposes. Even though the original 59 ex-US Marine Corps M1A1s were purchased in 2004, they are still a formidable weapon with a 120mm main gun able to destroy all Russian tanks at a distance of at least a kilometre – and in most circumstances well beyond that. They are well protected with extremely thick armour – though as experience with other allied MBTs used by Ukraine has shown, they have some vulnerability to top-down drone attacks.  Nevertheless, they will make an important contribution to Ukraine’s combat power, even if they are initially used in a defensive role. It also sends an important signal to Moscow that Ukraine’s allies – no matter how distant – are continuing to help in meaningful ways. The Australian Army fact sheet states: General characteristics  Weight 62000kg Length 9.83m Width 3.65m Height 2.89m Crew Four – commander, gunner, loader and driver Performance Power plant Gas turbine engine 1119 kilowatts Speed More than 60km per hour (standard terrain) More than 40km per hour (cross-country) Operational range More than 400km Smoke grenade system 66 millimetre Launcher Grenade M250 Armament 120 millimetre M256 smooth bore cannon 12.7 millimetre M2HB QCB machine gun 2 x 7.62 millimetre MAG58 machine gun For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]