Page 6 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

6 NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE
DECEMBER 2022-JANUARY 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
LAND 400 PHASE 3 DECISION TO FOLLOW STRATEGIC REVIEW
THE government will consider the findings of the Defence Strategic Review before deciding on the tender for the Land 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle project.
The Review will make recommenda- tions on priorities for investing in Austra- lia’s defence capability and posture.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Con- roy said it is responsible for the decision on a procurement worth between $18 bil- lion and $27 billion to be informed by the findings of the Review.
“I would like to thank Hanwha Defense Australia, Rheinmetall Defence Australia and the many other companies involved in this tender process for their under- standing and professionalism,” Minister Conroy said.
“The Government re- mains focused on Austra- lia’s future defence capa- bility. We don’t want to pre-empt the findings of the Review, which is especially critical given the rapidly changing strategic circum- stances facing our nation.”
ABOVE: Hanwha Defense Australia’s Redback (left) and the Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s KF-41 Lynx
SINGAPORE ASSISTS ARMY WITH APACHE INTRODUCTION
The final report from the Defence Stra- tegic Review is due to be delivered to the Government early in 2023.
Land 400 Phase 3 is the most expensive acquisition program in Army’s history and its scope has been under pressure given the Budget’s allocation of $9.9 billion to the Australian Signals Directorate for the REDSPICE program.
The budget for Phase 3 was initially set at $10-15 billion in 2015 but then bal- looned to $18-27 billion.
In June 2022, it was reported that the two companies vying for the program – Rheinmetall Defence Australia and Hanwha Defense Australia – were told to resubmit their bids for 300 vehicles in- stead of the original 450.
“Among many topics discussed, ADF personnel discussed how the Human Ma- chine Interface on the AH-64 compared to Tiger ARH and what tactics were em- ployed to best use the Apache Radar Sys- tem,” a Defence spokesperson said. “Our maintenance personnel were keen to learn how maintenance was managed and what tasks were required to keep the AH- 64’s ready for flying.”
The two-day event also saw ADF and RSAF teams share information about their respective aircraft capabilities, per- sonnel training regimes (both tradesmen and aircrew) and how maintenance sys- tems were managed, and the challenges of conducting maritime operations was a significant topic of discussion.
Australia has selected the AH-64E Apache Guardian to replace the Tiger ARH under Project Land 4503. 29 heli- copters will be acquired with a planned Initial Operational Capability (IOC) of 12 helicopters in 2026 and Final Operational Capability (FOC) in 2028.
The RSAF has operated 20 AH-64D Apaches, split between 120 Sqn and a training detachment based at Silver- bell Army Heliport in Marana, Arizona, since 2002.
MIKE YEO | MELBOURNE
PERSONNEL from the Army’s 161 Recon- naissance Squadron, which operates the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), visited Singapore’s AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship squadron to learn more about the platform Australia will be acquiring in the future.
The visit to 120 Squadron of the Re- public of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
LEFT: Apache helicopter pilots from the Republic of Singapore Air Force conduct a tour of the Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopters
took place on 10 and 11 No- vember 2022, as part of the ongoing Indo-Pacific Endeav- our 2022 (IPE22) regional engagement activity.
According to the RSAF, the two-day ground program at Singapore’s Sembawang Air Base included professional discussions, ground briefings, and organised static displays that allowed for in-depth exchanges that “provided op- portunities to learn best practices, and strengthens interpersonal relationships
between the RSAF and the ADF.” Defence told ADM that the visit in- volved 20 ADF personnel including mem- bers from ARH Tiger aircrew and main- tenance teams who participated in the shared learning and development session.
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