On 30 October 2005 the Department of Defence welcomed back the last of the contractor personnel deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) to complete the in theatre operational enhancements to the Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs).
The most significant achievement of the ASLAV MEAO Enhancement Group (AMEG) was the results that were achieved by a teaming of industry and Defence personnel, to meet a common goal. Twelve defence industry contractors were deployed as Defence Civilians as part of the 23 person team making up the ASLAV MEAO Enhancement Group (AMEG). Six of the contractors were from General Dynamics Land Systems – Australia (GDLS-A) based in Adelaide, whilst the remaining six contractors were sourced within Australia by Armatec Survivability Corporation, based in Ontario, Canada.
The success of the AMEG, more than one month ahead of the original schedule, is a true indication of what can be achieved when Defence and industry team to meet the operational needs of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Military officers and civilians within the AMEG worked side by side as a single team to overcome challenges such as intra-theatre movement of vehicles, which relies upon extensive liaison with coalition assets, and demanding environmental conditions. The schedule also had to take account of the AMTG operational tempo.
The ASLAVs were deployed to the MEAO as part of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG). Some of the vehicles deploying for AMTG could not be fitted with the Armatec spall liners. Rather, they were fitted with spall curtains, offering a similar level of protection to the vehicle crews and passengers. Further quantities of spall liners were procured, and the Department of Defence approved the in theatre completion of the operational enhancements to all AMTG ASLAVs. |
