Land 400 labeled as a "program going off the rails"...

Thanks to Dave for the link!

via CT.com

The people working on Land 400 can see it's heading off the rails, yet no one will blow the whistle. Too much has already been invested to back out. No one individual responsibility and no one wants to admit something that will cripple their promotion prospects. Besides, the problem is bureaucratic. It resides at the heart of the way we do things, like buying equipment. We call people "commanders" but then take away their ability to influence outcomes or, in the military's case, fight the way they need.

This is just one issue bedevilling the army. The real tragedy is that the current hierarchy inherited this flawed process. It's been left to carry the baby and so it's nursing it through. Particularly because this procurement disaster follows on the heels of another: the appalling saga of the self-propelled gun.

When we think about fighting, we tend to focus on close combat: the soldier and the tank. Although decisive, these aren't the real killers. The weapons that bring maximum death to the battlefield are indirect: artillery shells and air-delivered munitions. A recent, exhaustive investigation recommended we buy a South Korean self-propelled artillery gun. Some senior officers felt we should buy German. We've ended up with nothing.

No self-propelled artillery, the wrong armoured vehicles, serious issues with the helicopter fleet, and only the most rudimentary ability (in language skills and experience) to operate in our region.

Individually, these problems aren't anyone's fault. Combined, they represent a massive failure of the system. When will we admit that Defence is failing our soldiers?

Story here. 

It's a short article but I consider it a must read.  I look forward to reading the comments of my Aussie readers.