Australia sending Bushmasters to Ukraine
Australia will send Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to Ukraine after President Zelenskyy specifically requested them in an address to Australia’s Parliament on 31 March.
FILE PHOTO (October 2020): A Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle is loaded onto a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo by Corporal Tristan Kennedy.
The following day, 1 April, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that $25 million in further military support would be sent to Ukraine, including the requested Bushmasters.
Mr Morrison said President Zelenskyy address to The Australian Parliament was a truly momentous occasion.
“I can tell him after yesterday we announced $25 million in further support, military support,” Mr Morrison said.
“We’re not just sending our prayers, we’re sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this and body armour and all of these things, and we’re going to be sending our armoured vehicles, our Bushmasters as well.
“And we’re flying them over there on our C-17s to make sure they can be there to support.”
Mr Morrison thanked President Zelenskyy “for coming and addressing our Parliament and reminding, not just all of us who were in the Parliament last night, I think, but all Australians, of what is at stake here”.
“When you have one nation bullying another, a democratic nation whose territorial sovereignty has been violated and war crimes being committed in the Ukraine by Russia, then this is something that Australians will never stand for.
“And so we stand with Ukraine.
“But President Zelenskyy had a key warning, I think, for the whole world – that if you let a bully do this in Ukraine, then there are bullies elsewhere, and there are those in our own region who should be watching on to see how the world, and the western world in particular, stands together and stands up against bullies.”
CONTACT is sure China is quaking in its boots.
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Perhaps the Editor would like to do a follow up on our Bushmasters fate???
There is plenty of footage showing these Bushmasters toast, and that the crews didn’t benefit from Duttons legendary safety in the least, and like the M777’s we sent (and their crews), are just Russian munition magnets.
The A.D.F hasn’t fought a peer enemy since 1945.
Instead it attacks 3rd World Countries with 3rd World Militaries.
So its either naivety, arrogance or criminal connivance on the part of the Russel Hill Mandarins to agree to send such antiquated and inferior equipment to such a conflict and the resultant casualties.
I wouldn’t want the same decisions made for Australian Soldiers. Especially for someone else’s War.
DUTY FIRST.
The hypocrisy and double speak of the Australian Government and people in their support for Ukraine amazes me.
Where was the outpouring of support for the brave Viet’s, Iraqi’s, Afghans and Syrians defending THEIR countries from invading foreign Armies, (A.D.F.), Navies (R.A.N.) and Air Forces (R.A.A.F.) ?
When we invade a country the inhabitants are Terrorists.
When Russia invades a country the inhabitants are freedom fighters.
Yet you trust the same entities and people who gave you W.M.D. as a bullshit pretext to War the last time, and buy the same bullshit again.
Perhaps it’s time to consider if WE are the Bad Guys?
DUTY FIRST.
History is written by the victors – or, as Napoleon reputedly said, “What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”
I personally believe that sending humanitarian aid and defensive equipment is a great option for us to send to the Ukraine. Sending bush masters, not so much.. As far as I know Bush master are fairly unique to the ADF. I am concerned that the units we send will not last long as they start to require servicing, having break downs etc.. Will they have access to spare parts and the ability to service and repair them? It was a great diplomatic move of the Ukraine president to ask for very identifiable Australian vehicles. But I never thought, (and I bet he, the Ukraine president thought we would actually do it!) Obviously it made our current Govt all warm and fuzzy in side and we are! oh well.. I reckon we would be better off writing them a cheque so they could go buy armoured APC’s in Europe that Ukraine troops are more familiar in operating and repairing.
Think the borrowing from the Dutch is a more feasible, guess they will never be returning due to. Damage or war loss?
Im thinking the 000’s of US /NATO armour sitting on the border would be far more suitable project
ADF has hundreds of spare bushmasters that they dont need, government kept buying them just to keep factory working so ADF will send older ones to Ukraine and replace them with new ones that sit in storage, as for spare parts Duch and British have them as well so there is established supply chain in Europe
Terrific! The Liberal Party slavishly attach the ADF to another American Foreign Policy folly.
At least we’re not killing little brown people in their own country for a change.