Overview
- The Albanese government is considering offloading its fleet of 22 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters to Ukraine, with a source saying an offer is on the table and logistics remain the hurdle.
- Defence Minister Richard Marles says a new tranche of support will be announced very shortly, with reporting pointing to roughly $50 million for NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List.
- Any decision on helicopters would be handled separately from the pending funding injection, according to ABC reporting.
- Australia is phasing out the Tigers as AH-64E Apaches enter service, with full withdrawal due by 2028 and an accelerated schedule possible after the first Apaches arrived in October.
- The debate is shaped by anger over last year’s dismantling of MRH-90 Taipans, and Australia’s last major hardware pledge to Kyiv was 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks announced in October 2024.