Earlier this morning, a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defence confirmed that the U.S. has completed the delivery of another batch of new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to the Australian Army. These tanks were manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). The development comes just days after Canberra moved forward with the transfer of its retired M1A1 Abrams tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, of which 49 units have been committed to assist Kyiv in its defense against the Russian invasion. The delivery of the first batch was confirmed by official sources on Saturday, July 19.
In addition to the tanks—though without disclosing the exact number of armored vehicles delivered—the spokesperson told specialized media that the Australian Army not only received the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to continue modernizing its armored fleet, but also acquired a significant number of complementary vehicles. In this regard, the spokesperson stated that GDLS also delivered new M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABVs), along with M1110 Joint Assault Bridges (JABs), which are notable for their ability to deploy bridges in response to combat requirements.
It is worth recalling that in 2022, the Australian government placed a major order with the U.S. for 75 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks, 29 of the aforementioned M1150 ABVs, and 17 M1110 JABs as part of the LAND 907 modernization project. To facilitate this acquisition, the U.S. Department of State authorized the potential sale at the beginning of that year, paving the way for the deal to proceed following an investment of approximately $3.5 billion, which Australia subsequently committed.
Finally, although the current number of tanks and complementary vehicles in the Australian Army’s possession is unknown, local authorities reportedly expect to have the full fleet delivered by 2026. It is useful to remember that by late 2024, Canberra stated its troops were already familiarizing themselves with the first 46 M1A2 tanks delivered so far, while awaiting the remaining units and preparing the shipment of their older M1A1 tanks to Ukraine.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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