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Current M72 stock all there: audit

Volume 11, No. 60, February 22, 2007
 
In stock: M72 practice.
THE first phase of an investigation into the security of the ADF’s weapons, munitions and explosives has accounted for all Defence’s current stock of M72 66mm anti-tank weapons.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson announced the Defence Security Authority audit last December after several reports of alleged loss and theft of weapons and ammunition.

Dr Nelson said in relation to the current weapons and munitions management system, the audit team found that the accounting procedures provided a significant degree of confidence that Defence assets could be tracked.

“The audit team checked both conformity to procedures and M72 stocks at sites around Australia. In all cases, the full stock of the current M72 variant held by Defence was accounted for with no discrepancies,” he said.

However, the audit has made recommendations to improve and tighten the procedures for accounting and tracking M72s throughout Defence. These include individually identifying and tracking each munition, more frequent stocktaking of the inventory and tightened procedures for reporting and investigating discrepancies.

Dr Nelson said the audit team confirmed the findings of earlier reviews and investigations that accounting and security practices for weapons and munitions before 2000 were less stringent than those now in place.