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Category: Defence and Aerospace Industries / Small Business / State Parliament / Federal - State Issues

Tasmanian company shows off prototype vehicle for Army contract bid

Wednesday, 29 Jun 2016 13:57:52 | Rosemary Bolger

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman (L) inspects the prototype vehicle. (ABC News: Sallese Gibson)

A Tasmanian company has unveiled an armoured vehicle prototype that Australian soldiers could be driving from 2020.

Burnie manufacturing company Elphinstone Group is part of a consortium, known as Team Sentinel, vying for the $10 billion Defence contract to replace up to 400 light-armoured combat vehicles.

Elphinstone would help build the hull and engine for the vehicles while CBG Systems in Hobart would add its stealth blanket technology.

If successful, the contract would secure an estimated 150 jobs at Elphinstone over five years and 20 at CBG.

The State Government has repeatedly expressed frustration about the low amount of Defence spending in Tasmania.

Premier Will Hodgman said more than $30 billion was spent annually on defence, and it was estimated that Tasmania only gets less than 0.03 per cent of the pool.

He believes the Team Sentinel bid is the state's best shot at boosting its share to date.

"We do need to do our bit to lift our game and the State Government certainly been very keen to get behind prospects such as these where we have a competitive advantage and where we can make a very strong pitch," he said.

"We've got capabilities here in Tasmania and we want to utilise those."

In December, a consortium, including Hobart ship builder Incat, missed out on a $600 million project to build 21 Defence patrol boats.

Albert Systems managing director Dan Webster said the next stage would be for the Army to select its preferred prototypes for further testing.

"One of which will be tested to destruction and will be actually blown up to see if the protection systems work to the level which the army is expecting," he said.

He estimated each vehicle would cost between $6–7 million to build.

The successful tenderer would start construction in two years' time on the first 225 vehicles.

AustraliaPlus


 

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