As part of Australia’s Armed Forces LAND 907 Modernization Project, it has been confirmed that the first batch of new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks from the United States has been delivered to the Australian Army. This announcement comes as the delivery process to Cavalry Regiments begins, alongside the training and formation of new crews.
Named the LAND 907 Modernization Project, its objective is to renew the Australian Army’s main battle tank fleet, previously composed of M1A1 Abrams tanks. The official decision made by the Australian government was to replace these models with the most modern version of the U.S.-origin MBT, currently manufactured by GDLS.
In early 2022, the U.S. State Department authorized the sale of 75 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks to Australia for a total of $3.5 billion. The package also included 17 M1074 Joint Assault Bridge vehicles and six M88A2 armored recovery vehicles.
As previously announced, deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2024 and conclude in 2025. As part of the training of new crews, the Australian Ministry of Defense confirmed the arrival of the first batch of 46 new M1A2 SEPv3 tanks from the United States.
While specific details and delivery dates were not disclosed, it was mentioned that a total of 14 new Abrams tanks will be assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the Australian Army, based in Townsville, which is preparing to begin training with the new combat platform in early 2025.
Australia’s purchase of the M1A2 SEPv3 tanks is aimed at replacing its M1A1 Abrams, which have been in service since 2007. It is presumed that the confirmation of the new tanks’ delivery has accelerated the decision by the Oceanic country to transfer a batch of 49 tanks to Ukraine, responding to a request from Kyiv at the end of October.
Beyond the specifics of this donation, valued at $250 million, the upcoming addition of 49 units represents a boost for Ukraine’s depleted M1A1 Abrams fleet, donated by the United States, which has suffered attrition and losses in combat over the past year and a half.
For Australia, the arrival of the new M1A2 SEPv3 tanks, with superior armor, weaponry, and sensor capabilities compared to the M1A1, is another step forward in the modernization path undertaken by the Australian Army. This plan also includes the introduction of a new fleet of AS-21 Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles to replace its M113 vehicles and new A29 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers. The latter were developed through cooperation with South Korea via Hanwha Aerospace.
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