The hull of a Leopard Medium Battle Tank receives the treatment at JLU-V. Photos by Cpl Cameron Jamieson, Army newspaper

A Land Rover 110 in the processes of being rebuilt at the JLU-V’s North Bandiana facility.

Damaged Unimog and Mack truck cabs await their fate at Bandiana.

The tradition of rebuilding

By Cpl Cameron Jamieson

In the quiet rural setting of Bandiana a team of skilled technicians are continuing a tradition that lasted for more than 50 years.

It is here that tired and worn artillery pieces and A and B vehicles are brought for a second chance at a military career.
Since 1948, the purpose-built facility has remained the only tank rebuild facility in Australia.

Today the work is conducted by Tenix Defence, who are contracted until 2010 to undertake fourth-line repair work.

The Coordinator of Material Maintenance, Arthur Jewell, has worked at the site for 14 years, and says that most vehicles that come to the workshops are in a pretty poor state of repair.

“We virtually build them back to class one standard, so when they go out they’re not brand new but as good as new,” he said.

Mr Jewell said it was an exciting time to be at the site because work is about to commence on the M113 upgrade project.

“They will be a brand-new vehicle built to a new standard.

“The Army should be very happy with these,” he said.

The time taken to rebuild a vehicle depends on its type.

Leopard tanks take about six months to be rebuilt, while M113s take around three months.

Artillery pieces and Unimogs normally take six weeks, Macks take about seven weeks and Land Rovers take around five weeks.
Supervisor of the B vehicle repair line, Danny Goff, believes the rebuilding process represents good value for the Army.

“These are specialist vehicles, with many being role specific,” he said.

“What we do is very cost-effective to bring them back to their mission and role.”

Mr Goff said he and his team derive a great deal of satisfaction from their work.

“We get very ordinary vehicles and we send them back looking like they should look,” he said.

“The best part of the job is watching the mechanics on the floor smile with pride when a vehicle goes out.”

.