Fed: Bushmaster appears to be back on track says Hill

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2004
Fed: Bushmaster appears to be back on track says Hill

By Max Blenkin, Defence Correspondent

CANBERRA, Feb 17 AAP - The Army's troubled Bushmaster armoured vehicle project appears
to be back on track with defence chiefs confident it will pass final acceptance tests
in April.

That will allow ADI to launch full scale production of almost 300 vehicles at its Bendigo
plant under the $200 million contract.

The stamp of approval of the Australian Defence Force would also open the way for international
sales with one trials vehicle already bound for the United Arab Emirates.

Bushmaster, the first armoured vehicle designed and produced in Australia since World
War II, is a four-wheel drive armoured infantry mobility vehicle designed to transport
a section of nine troops and their equipment in air-conditioned comfort through Australia's
outback.

The government and ADI signed a $200 million contract for 350 Bushmasters in March 1999.

However, the vehicles experienced significant reliability problems which required a
different engine and transmission and design changes to improve reliability and personnel
capacity.

In June last year defence and ADI signed a revised contract for 299 vehicles, although
at the same $200 million cost.

The Army has accepted four trial vehicles with the requirement that they pass all reliability
tests before full production can start.

The testing deadline is the end of April.

Defence Minister Robert Hill and Army chief Lieutenant General Peter Leahy both expressed
confidence in the vehicle today.

Senator Hill, who inspected and took a ride aboard one of the trials vehicles at defence
headquarters in Canberra, said the vehicle would pass all tests.

"If we weren't confident that that would be achieved, we wouldn't be here," he said.

General Leahy said the army was also sure it was on a winner.

"We have been very keen on this project for a while, to get it right and that's what
we have been doing, working through the project office and working with ADI," he said.

"We have come up with a very solid solution."

Senator Hill said it was no secret that the project had experienced problems.

"Army however always saw great value in it and also saw no comparable vehicle on the
international market," he said.

"We therefore decided to persevere in a long and difficult negotiation with ADI on
many different issues. The good news is it really is back on track.

"It's good to see there is already considerable international interest in the vehicle."

AAP mb/sb/drp/de

KEYWORD: BUSHMASTER (PIX AVAILABLE)

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