Local defence manufacturing jobs at risk
Posted by Doug Buerger | 10/03/2009
The Bendigo Business Council is concerned that the Department of Defence’s lack of interest in a new Bendigo-built lightweight military mobility vehicle may cost local jobs.
BBC chairman Doug Buerger, said that instead of investing in Australian industry, the Federal Government is financing the development of US-built military mobility vehicles.
“There were reports last year that the Defence Department has committed $40 million to the United States’ Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program.”
“Now it appears the Pentagon has confirmed that Australia is funding the development of nine prototype vehicles to be built by three contracting consortia in the US, none of which have any Australian participation.”
Mr Buerger said that Brigadier Roderick West, the Australian Army attaché to the United States, told a recent conference that Australia has a requirement for 1,300 vehicles that could be filled by a JLTV.
“I understand many of these are replacements for Australia’s current fleet of LandRover vehicles,” Mr Buerger said.
“Brigadier West went on to say that ‘every soldier deserves a seat in a protected mobility platform’, so it is particularly disappointing that our Defence Department is overlooking a locally-built vehicle with a proven track record of protecting our troops in war zones around the world.”
“Thales Australia has a light protected mobility vehicle (PMV-L) on the drawing board that is based on its highly successful Bushmaster design.”
“This would be a lower-risk option because it uses proven Bushmaster technology and it should be available earlier than any American alternative which is designed from scratch.”
Back
