Land 400 News. Australian General hides behind Troopers death to defend downselect.

Thanks to Dave for the link!

via ABC News Australia.

Trooper "Poppy" Pearce died in 2007 when the Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) he was sitting in drove over an IED in Uruzgan in Afghanistan.
Shortly after his death, Australia withdrew ASLAV from service in Afghanistan.
As part of the multi-billion-dollar Land 400 project, the Army is now assessing options to replace its current fleet of 257 light armoured vehicles.
The massive project is being overseen by the army's head of modernisation and strategic planning, Major General Gus McLachlan.
"I do get hounded a lot, but I'm loving every minute of it," Major General McLachlan said.
"This is a vehicle that we think we'll use for 30 years and sadly it will probably be used in its lifetime — it'll be shot at and potentially blown up — so we want a tough competition and we want the best outcome to protect our soldiers for the next 20 to 30 years."
Major General McLachlan said the memory of his popular fallen colleague was at the forefront of his decision-making.
"There was nothing different we could've done for Trooper Pearce," he said.
"The vehicle he was in was the best vehicle that was available, but as we look to the future, the ability to protect our people is what's driving us.
"We are determined that the vehicles we buy next will have the capacity for a soldier to survive that kind of blast."

This is borderline disgusting, edging toward obscene.  Am I reading this right?  Gus is actually using the death of Trooper Pearce to defend his decision on Land 400?

Just plain wow.

Nothing is bomb proof and terrorists have demonstrated the ability to build bombs so large that no land vehicle in existence or planned could survive them.  So the fact that Gus is trying this idiocy is galling.

The only truth in this article is Gus saying that he gets hounded alot.  In my opinion deservedly so.

Land 400 Phase 2 is a mess.  Quite honestly I expect more of the same in Phase 3.