Page 159 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2021

JUNE 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
FROM THE SOURCE MAJOR GENERAL SIMON STUART 157
ADM: So there’s no plans but there’s plans to make plans. STUART: Yes... but without presupposing any outcomes. As you know, people are always very interested, but there really isn’t anything to see yet and these considerations are pre-decisional. Of course, we have to keep in mind that they’re Government decisions. They’re not Army or Defence’s decisions, we are about providing options with risks and all of the pros and cons of those options laid out really clearly, including capability options. But, again, it’s about creating and preserving options for Government.
ADM: Is the Trophy active protection system (APS) still being integrated on the Boxers and will it be mandated for Phase 3?
STUART: The short answer is no, it’s not being integrated into Boxer or the Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It’s in consid- eration for future integration with the replacement tank under Land 907 Bar 2. Army hasn’t mandated a specific active protection system for either phase of Land 400. But what we have done is we’ve expressed a preference for the Iron Fist Light Decoupled system the current exemplar.
Block 1 Boxer CRV will not be delivered with an APS, but we’re working with Rheinmetall Defence Australia to develop and integrate an APS solution for application to the Block 2 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) fleet.
ADM: Is expressing a preference for a system not the same as mandating one?
STUART: No, it’s certainly not. If it’s mandated then it’s in black and white in the requirements against which industry respond in their formal tender responses. We’ve used Iron Fist Light Decoupled as
the exemplar. There is an important nuance there. But, having said that, subsequently both of the Phase 3 tenderers have offered that system as part of their tender response. I think where we need to be, we’ve got some more work to do. We’re working toward the end state but exactly how we get there, we haven’t firmed up yet.
“WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS THE END STATE (APS) BUT EXACTLY HOW WE GET THERE, WE HAVEN’T FIRMED THAT UP YET.”
ADM: The US Marine Corps, as I’m sure you know, has decided that tanks are operationally unsuitable to the wars of the future. Why does Australia need tanks? STUART: I wouldn’t characterise it that way. The US Marine Corps are in a relatively luxurious position to be able to divest of tanks because they have the US Army that will maintain the tank capability. While the scales are obviously signifi- cantly different, the Australian Army has to fulfil the func-
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