Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beirut: The Syrian delegation's visit to Beirut, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until next week
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza: The total number of Palestinians killed due to famine and malnutrition has risen to 313, including 119 children
Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip: 10 people, including two children, have died of starvation in the past 24 hours
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: US envoy Tom Barrack cancels his visit to Tyre and al-Khiam amid popular protests
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the southern border town of Kfar Kila
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.

Australia enters $3.5 bn tank deal with US

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 10 Jan 2022 17:50
3 Min Read

The United States makes another deal with its Oceanian ally in less than a year, this time providing Australia with an upgraded tank fleet.

  • x
  • The deal will include more than 120 tanks and other armored vehicles
    The deal will include more than 120 tanks and other armored vehicles

Australia has committed to purchasing more than 120 tanks and other armored vehicles from the United States to upgrade its army's fleet of outdated M1A1 in a deal worth $3.5 billion.

The package will include 75 new M1A2 abrams tanks, 29 explosive-clearing assault breached vehicles, 17 assault bridge vehicles, and six armored recovery vehicles.

The vehicles will give Australia's soldiers "the best possibility for success and protection from future harm," Defense Minister Peter Dutton said Monday.

This constitutes a shift from the Australian trend in recent years, where Canberra has been committed to naval and aerial acquisitions, such as submarines and jet fighters, not to mention long-range missiles.

The American tanks will replace Australia's 59 Abrams M1A1s, which Canberra had acquired in 2007, and they have not been in combat, for they have not deployed a tank in combat since the Vietnam War.

"The M1A2 Abrams will incorporate the latest developments in Australian sovereign defense capabilities, including command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence systems, and benefit from the intended manufacture of tank ammunition in Australia," the defense minister added.

He also said their incorporation would take advantage of the pre-existing support infrastructure.

Australia is expected to spend between $30 billion and $42 billion on armored vehicles, which will include a fleet of infantry fighting vehicles.

Related News

Ex-AIPAC-funded lawmakers back bill to halt US weapons to 'Israel'

Russia, US maintain Ukraine talks as Putin, Trump engage: Kremlin

The agreement has sparked debates over Canberra's military spending and its needs in that field, especially as COVID-19 has re-surged lately and is ravaging the country.

From submarines to tanks

However, some experts are debating whether Australia would even need tanks in case of a conflict, considering that the West is wary of China and has been doing its best to undermine it in the Indo-Pacific region.

The United States and two of its allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, had signed a deal in September, as per which Washington and London would aid Canberra on acquiring nuclear submarine technology.

Therefore, downgrading to tanks from nuclear-powered submarines has raised some questions. Regardless, the first vehicles will be delivered in 2024, and they will be in service in 2025.

AUKUS, the deal between the three western nations, came in a bid to increase western presence in the Indo-Pacific region, or as parties said, to "boost nuclear capabilities and strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

China saw the alliance as a thinly veiled attempt at undermining its regional presence. The Chinese embassy in the United States commented on the deal, calling on the three nations to "shake off their cold war mentality and ideological prejudice."

Another bid to undermine China

Japan expanded support to US troops on Friday as Tokyo and Washington held top-level talks in light of regional tensions.

US State Secretary Antony Blinken said the two nations were signing a five-year extension of the support package provided by Japan for the hosting of some 50,000 US troops on Japanese soil. 

According to Blinken, the new agreement will "invest greater resources to deepen our military readiness and interoperability."

  • United States
  • Japan
  • China
  • Indo-Pacific Region
  • Australia
  • Antony Blinken
  • AUKUS

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli military strike, during their funeral outside Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, Friday, August 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel’s' 'double-tap' strike on Gaza hospital must be probed: UN

Elon Musk flashes his t-shirt that reads DOGE to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Sunday, March 9, 2025 (AP)
Technology

Whistleblower warns DOGE mishandled social security data of millions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a joint press conference with President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

House Democrats urge Rubio to admit injured Gaza kids after visa halt

The Microsoft Sign at the Redmond headquarters sprayed in red during a protest against 'Israel' using the company's cloud services, Redmond, Washington DC, United States, August 21, 2025 (Social Media)
Politics

Current, ex-Microsoft staff arrested in sit-in against Israeli ties

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS