Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Reader Comments - New Australian Army Vehicle Contract

Bushranger 71

The latest Australian Government defence procurement decision re a projected spend of $1.3billion on Hawkei vehicles and trailers is indisputably more automotive industry subsidization for political purposes.
These 6 man vehicles look suspiciously suited for Special Forces patrolling in desert environs, but will be next to useless in the regional wet tropics so really add very little value to combat capabilities.
Further, they are going to be manufactured by a multinational arms manufacturer sucking profits out of Australia instead of being built by locally owned industry.
And, is it cost-effective to spend so much money to create relatively few jobs?
Australian politicians seem to have forgotten the value of money. One billion dollars is a vast amount of money. Converting dollars to seconds:
$1million in seconds = 11.57 days whereas $1billion in seconds = 31.70 YEARS.
A similar scenario is shaping up re submarines.
The US driven US/Japan/Australia relationship will only further alienate Australia from the more comprehensive ASEAN Plus Three Bloc of Nations and Associates and it would be folly to go down that track.
Similarly, for Australian manufacture of any foreign design. Build them where designed and get the associated cost benefits.
If Canberra is so bent on securing an industrial future for South Australia, it should be seeking to develop nuclear fuel and waste refinement/storage for the world.

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