Monday, December 12, 2011

Australia picks its JLTV...

Jonathan (thanks again!) sent me this article that shows the silliness of US ground vehicle procurement programs.  The Aussies have gotten their JLTV pick selected and we're still wandering around dazed and confused.  Good for them, pathetic for us.  Read it here but a tidbit...
Australia aims to buy up to 1,300 of the high-mobility Hawkei, to be built in Bendigo where Thales Australia also produces the larger Bushmaster infantry vehicle, used by Australian, British and Dutch troops in Afghanistan.
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5 comments :

  1. AnonymousTuesday, December 13, 2011 9:03:00 AM

    Almost. This is the locally made vehicle that will be competing against the short-listed JLTV vehicles for the ADF contract. we've still got money assessing which of the JLtV variants might meet our needs.

    This vehicle hasn't been chosen yet, it's only been short-listed in preference to the Eagle IV and the Ocelot.

    The competition has some way to go yet...

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  2. Jonathan BaumTuesday, December 13, 2011 10:49:00 AM

    With blast and ballistic protection systems by Plasan. No small part of its success so far.

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  3. SolomonTuesday, December 13, 2011 10:53:00 AM

    i'll give you guys credit on that Jonathan...but heck everyone uses Plasan now...its almost a monopoly.

    Aussie Digger...i don't see the Eagle IV having a snowballs chance, and the Ocelot might make it but it doesn't have the home grown smell...so i'm personally thinking the Hawkei by a nose.

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  4. AnonymousThursday, December 15, 2011 1:51:00 AM

    Hawkei is just the local vehicle that is going to compete against the JLTV for the Australian Army's 1300x vehicle.

    It'll probably win due to domestic politics, but it isn't Army's choice from all reports and it hasn't won the contest yet, just the Australian domestic aspect of it...

    Army announced several years ago it was going to invest in JLTV by a sole-source contract and pick the winner. All the Australian manufacturers cried foul and a local competition v JLTV was devised.

    So far Hawkei has won the local competition agains Eagle IV and Ocelot. It's still got to compete against JLTV, but I'd say it's probably the favourite given the political interest...

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  5. SolomonThursday, December 15, 2011 12:03:00 PM

    then its Hawkei by a mile. i don't know if the JLTV is even going to be cost effective much less operationally viable.

    John has attended the brief on the Humvee upgrade and from what he's saying the Marines are about to drop out of the JLTV and head straight for the upgrade vehicle.

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