Page 20 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 21

20 NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE
FEBRUARY – MARCH 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
ANAO RELEASES ANNUAL MAJOR PROJECTS REPORT
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
FIFTEEN of the country’s 25 largest defence projects have suffered delays due to CO- VID-19 but none have reported any impact relating to capability, the Australian Na- tional Audit Office (ANAO) disclosed in its annual Major Projects report released on 30 November.
Average schedule delays of three to six months were due to supply chain disruption, workforce limitations and contractor delays. However the full impact on the 25 contracts, featuring total acquisition costs of S$78.7 billion, was still being assessed under evolv- ing pandemic circumstances overseas, the ANAO was advised by Defence.
Total schedule slippage for the 25 se- lected projects as of June 2020 was 507
months on original schedule – 144 months lower than the previous 12-month period. The single Project of Concern remained
the Airbus MRH-90 Taipan multirole heli- copter, first placed on the list in November 2011 due to contractor performance relat- ing to significant technical issues.
Service release of an enhanced cargo hook system compatible with ADF equipment was granted in October 2020 while operational test and evaluation continued on a new cabin gun mount allowing covering fire while sol- diers are rappelling from the aircraft. Final Operational Capability (FOC) for the 47-air- craft fleet is currently scheduled for Decem- ber 2021, Defence stated.
As of September Australia had received 30 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, five of them still at the International Pilot Train- ing Centre in Arizona.
Delivery of the 72nd and last is sched- uled for August 2023, and Defence warned that the program “may be affected by tech- nical deficiencies, delay in delivery sched- ule, funding or program issues, or delays in delivery of an effective training system”, the ANAO report said.
Residual activities concerning the RAAF’s C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter remain outstanding after two failures by the 10-strong fleet to achieve FOC.
This work includes fitment and certifi- cation of Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe, and a decision by the RAAF on reten- tion, replacement or upgrade of the Mis- sile Approach Warning System following a review of the aircraft’s capability require- ment due no later than December 2020.
IOC for the $970 million Battlefield Command System has moved from