DPR 69/97 Tuesday, 6 May 1997
ARMOURED VEHICLE CONTRACTS SIGNED
Contracts worth $31.9million dollars for the upgrade of the Army's M113 armoured vehicles have been let to Melbourne and Sydney-based companies.
A $30 million contract for 364 vehicles with a new turret, sight and cool drinking water system was signed with Melbourne-based Transfield Defence Systems yesterday (May 5).
Last Tuesday, Sydney-based Transfield Pty Ltd signed a $1.9million dollar contract to provide spall liners which will provide protection for crew and passengers from metal splinters and chips generated by hits from large-calibre machine gun or anti-armour weapons.
The contracts are part of the $50million M113 Upgrade Project designed to take the vehicles, introduced into the Army in 1964, through to the year 2010.
The upgraded vehicles will be delivered between mid-next year and late 1999-early 2000, after development and testing early next year and will be equipped with a 12.7mm quick change barrel machine gun, and night vision equipment.
The $30million contract also will cover the installation of separately-procured engine cooling kits and an improved suspension kit. The new sight is being developed in Australia by Electro Optic Systems at Queanbeyan, NSW.
The spall liners contract will provide mounting kits and 212 liners for armoured units and 16 training liners for the School of Armour and Army Logistic Training Centre.
Training liners will not provide protection but will be of similar design to the operational liners to allow effective crew training.
The spall liners will be developed and manufactured in Australia and are scheduled to be introduced into service in late 1999.
Further Information:
Lieutenant Colonel Ian Edwardson
(06) 265 4065 (bh)
(06) 288 1908 (ah)
Pager: 008 251 823 #131181