Australia sold about 100 combat modules for tanks and armored vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (video)
The $80 million contract was signed with Ukraine’s Spetstechnoexport. The U.S. Army was the first to recognize the weapon as effective, and it has been used in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
The defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS), based in Canberra (the capital of Australia), has sold Ukraine combat modules (RMS). The company’s press service announced this on April 3.
An export agreement worth almost $80 million was signed with the Ukrainian state enterprise Spetstechnoexport. In addition to these systems, EOS undertakes to send spare parts and provide related services.
The contract provides for deliveries in 2023 and 2024, subject to demonstration tests in the coming weeks.
To conclude the multimillion-dollar deal, EOS was assisted by Ukraine’s Ambassador Vasyl Miroshnychenko, and the company’s senior executive director Matthew Jones recently visited Kyiv twice, ABC News reports.
“In fulfilling the agreement, EOS will use a support network and a chain of more than a hundred suppliers in Australia and other countries,” the company said.
The RMS is currently in service with several military units in Australia, North America, Europe and Southeast Asia, the press release said.
“EOS is proud to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine by providing them with the RMS rescue utility. This will help meet their most important security and defense needs,” said EOS CEO Andreas Schwer.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces use EOS combat modules in Bushmaster armored vehicles. Australia donated them last June as part of a military aid package.
EOS combat modules – how do they work?
The system is installed on armored vehicles and tanks. Its purpose is to allow troops to identify targets, automatically track them and fire without leaving the vehicle.
The soldiers will not have to climb over the turret of a tank or vehicle. They will not be hit by firearms in combat because they remain inside the armored vehicle or tank.
The EOS booklet says that the US Army was the first to recognize these modules as effective, and in 1991 placed an order. Since 2003, the systems have been used in battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a reminder, as of July last year, Canberra provided Ukraine with $388 million in military aid after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
In March 2023, it became known that Australia had handed over M113AS4 ALV armored personnel carriers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
