The tanks will replace the army’s 59 Abrams M1A1s, which were bought in 2007 but have not seen combat. The commitment to buy 75 M1A2 main battle tanks indicates the government is committed to an advanced fleet of armoured vehicles despite the focus in recent years being on other major acquisitions such as submarines, jet fighters and long-range missiles amid the rise of China, according to the newspaper report. Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton will reportedly confirm the upgrade on Monday (10 January). Australia has made a deal with the United States to buy more than 120 tanks and other armoured vehicles at a cost of $3.5 billion, as part of a major upgrade of the army’s fleet, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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