Four ADF Bushmaster vehicles have been hastily repainted and modified so they can be flown to Europe within days of a direct public request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During Thursday's historic address to parliament the Ukrainian leader caught Defence by surprise when he nominated the troop carriers as a practical example of what Australia could provide his nation as it fights a Russian invasion.
Immediately following President Zelenskyy's historic address the Defence department scrambled to work out how best to get the Bendigo-built armoured vehicles to the war-torn nation in Eastern Europe quickly.
Now the ABC can reveal the first four troop carriers were repainted and refitted in Brisbane over the weekend ahead of their delivery to RAAF Base Amberley, where they are expected to be loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster before being flown to Europe.
A RAAF Globemaster can carry up to four Bushmasters on board at any one time, but it is understood the ADF is also examining whether some of the vehicles used by the Dutch military could be given to the Ukrainians as well.
During the Afghanistan war the Bushmaster was credited for saving the lives of Australian soldiers, with the Dutch government buying more than 100 of them.
The UK Defence Force is believed to operate around 20 of the vehicles.
Last week Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared Australia would meet President Zelenskyy's request, by "not just sending our prayers … we're going to be sending our armoured vehicles, our bushmasters as well, and we'll be flying them over on our C-17s".
Appearing before a Senate estimates hearing on Friday, the Defence Department's head of Land Systems, Major-General Andrew Bottrell, indicated that the ADF was preparing to send more than four Bushmasters to Ukraine's military.
"[We've] been working through options on what we've got available, where they are, providing some of that advice to government, they're still considering those options," he said.
"I'd suggest that it's moved on from just four, so those options are still being considered by the [Defence] Minister and government."
A Defence figure, speaking to the ABC on the condition of anonymity, said the initial four Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles to be flown out of RAAF Base Amberley had been painted "olive green".
The vehicles had been painted white before the refit and it is understood a Ukrainain flag had been painted on the door at the rear of the vehicle.
The Defence Department has been approached for comment but has not yet responded to a series of detailed questions from the ABC, including on what modifications have been made to the Bushmasters.
The Bushmaster is built in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo by French-owned defence company Thales which is currently providing assembling dozens of the vehicles for the New Zealand military.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne will fly to Brussels on Tuesday to join a meeting of NATO foreign ministers trying to coordinate an international response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Several countries from outside NATO – including South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Finland and Sweden – have been invited to attend the meeting.
In a statement she said Australia wanted to "strengthen international solidarity in responding to Russia's illegal and unjust actions".
