2RHPZ
06-28-2004, 02:10 AM
By John Kerin
June 28, 2004
AUSTRALIA opted to buy the reconditioned US-built Abrams tank because it offered better crew protection than the German Leopard 2 and Britain could not provide its Challenger 2 in sufficient numbers.
Defence Minister Robert Hill has revealed for the first time in detail why Australia went with the $530 million contract to buy 59 Abrams tanks in March.
Senator Hill has also responded to criticism that Washington's bid was given favoured treatment or that the 63.3-tonne Abrams was too heavy to be transported to war zones aboard RAN transport ships and landing craft.
"(The Abrams) was assessed as superior to the Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks in the areas of acquisition cost, acquisition risk, suvivability (for tank crews), network centric warfare potential, technological maturity, availability for delivery and commonality with a large world fleet," Senator Hill says in answer to a series of answers to Opposition questions on notice.
Senator Hill said fitting the Leopard 2 with landmine protection (ammunition is stored in the crew compartment, not in a separate blastproof compartment as with the Abrams) meant the German package was "substantially more expensive" and came with high risk.
June 28, 2004
AUSTRALIA opted to buy the reconditioned US-built Abrams tank because it offered better crew protection than the German Leopard 2 and Britain could not provide its Challenger 2 in sufficient numbers.
Defence Minister Robert Hill has revealed for the first time in detail why Australia went with the $530 million contract to buy 59 Abrams tanks in March.
Senator Hill has also responded to criticism that Washington's bid was given favoured treatment or that the 63.3-tonne Abrams was too heavy to be transported to war zones aboard RAN transport ships and landing craft.
"(The Abrams) was assessed as superior to the Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks in the areas of acquisition cost, acquisition risk, suvivability (for tank crews), network centric warfare potential, technological maturity, availability for delivery and commonality with a large world fleet," Senator Hill says in answer to a series of answers to Opposition questions on notice.
Senator Hill said fitting the Leopard 2 with landmine protection (ammunition is stored in the crew compartment, not in a separate blastproof compartment as with the Abrams) meant the German package was "substantially more expensive" and came with high risk.