First Australian Soldiers Complete Training on New Abrams M1A2 Tanks

The Australian Army has begun training soldiers on its newly acquired Abrams M1A2 main battle tanks, with the first group completing operations and maintenance training at Puckapunyal, Victoria.

The Australian Army plans to deploy 75 Abrams M1A2 tanks, with 46 units already delivered from the United States under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The Army would utilize existing maintenance infrastructure and invest in Australian industry to establish repair and overhaul capabilities for the Abrams M1A2 tanks. Maintenance support will be based at key operational locations, including Puckapunyal, Bandiana in Victoria, and Townsville in Queensland.

The tanks are also supported by simulation training systems supplied by Australian industry partners, such as Thomas Global Systems, Thales Australia, and Universal Motion Simulation. This training will prepare soldiers for field operations, with 14 tanks expected to be delivered to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Townsville by the year’s end, followed by field training starting in early 2025.