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Australian Army Surplus pending...

Hi everyone - just arrived at work today and found this press release:

Quote:

Biggest equipment disposal since WWII
BY MAX BLENKIN
30 Jun, 2011 08:46 AM
The Australian Defence Force is to embark on the biggest disposal sale of surplus used equipment since the aftermath of World War II.
As the ADF buys new aircraft, ships, vehicles and weapons, it's planning to sell the old kit and make as much money as possible.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said over the next 10 years Defence would dispose of up to 24 ships, 70 combat aircraft, 110 other aircraft, 120 helicopters, 600 armoured vehicles, 12,000 other vehicles plus assorted communications equipment, weapons and explosive ordnance.
''The Australian Defence Force is about to undertake the biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II,'' he said in a statement.
''Over the next 15 years the Australian Defence Force will replace or upgrade up to 85 per cent of its equipment.''
Mr Clare said what was to be sold represented 10 per cent of the Government's non-financial assets.
The funds raised will be reinvested in new military equipment, such as simulators for training.
The sale will start with the issuing of a request for proposal for the disposal of up to 24 navy ships across the coming decade.
A plan to dispose of up to 12,000 army vehicles including Land Rovers, and Unimog and Mack trucks had also been approved.
The request for proposal for the vehicle disposals will be issued in July.
Historically significant pieces of military equipment will still be made available to the Australian War Memorial, RSL clubs and other historical organisations.

Cheers Warren.
:

And I can bet it will be another case of vandalism, where, like in the decommissioning of the Leopard Tanks, the power packs will be removed and the hulls filled with concrete so they "sit right".

When are we as a nation going to understand that (at least some) vehicles, water-craft, aircraft and even weapons need to be historically represented as fully functioning examples of their manufacture? Planes that fly, ships that sail, tanks that drive and weapons that can still fire.

Most of the Army museums around the country only have operational pieces because of the time, effort and money donated by their volunteers and retired corps members, not because of the pittance provided by Defence for the maintenance of the AHU.

Its interesting that the press release compares today to the end of the WW2 era.

Not much is similar . Can you imagine a road train of surplus tanks being driven from Pucka to West Gippsland , through Melbourne . That happened just after the war, when 3 locals here bought heaps of Grants, Stuarts and Matildas . Drivers were hired and off they went along the main roads . One tank towing another . Hayward was one of the consortium , and the other two I cannot recall. They bought heaps of spares too, including NOS engines in crates.

Mike

The name was Heywood, and quite a few remains are to be found around here.

You should gather them up and bury them, with respect. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren brown (Post 149268)

Hi everyone - just arrived at work today and found this press release:

A plan to dispose of up to 12,000 army vehicles including Land Rovers,

Hi Warren,

Save me a Perentie 6x6 mobile workshop, please :)

only one, Richard? :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren brown (Post 149302)

only one, Richard? :)

Warren, I can only drive one at a time :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Szalanda (Post 149282)

The name was Heywood, and quite a few remains are to be found around here.

Hayward was at Shady creek . The propery is now a sand blasting business , I go there now and then to get stuff blasted. The sand blaster there told me the whole story, his wife is the daughter of the original 'Tank man'.

A complete Grant was just down the road here where I live, in an old sawmill in the bush , it was driven there after the war and they just left it , they never used it, complete with main gun in situ . Around 1990, the tank man at Narre Warren procured it. I could say more, but this isn't the place :no4:

Mike

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant (Post 149301)

Hi Warren,

Save me a Perentie 6x6 mobile workshop, please :)

Richard it is funny but my first thought on seeing this post was "I wonder if there will be any of those nice looking Landrover 6X6's in there" :)

I wouldn't mind a helicopter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren brown (Post 149268)

Hi everyone - just arrived at work today and found this press release:

"A plan to dispose of up to 12,000 army vehicles including Land Rovers, and Unimog and Mack trucks had also been approved.
The request for proposal for the vehicle disposals will be issued in July."

Cheers Warren.
:

The process has already started with Land Rovers and Trailers. Register HERE to get updates on more Land Rovers, Unimogs and Macks.

No idea which Auctioneer is dealing with the Helicopters, sorry. :eek:

I wonder if the same rules about sales to non-citizens apply in Australia as the US? Also, since Mack is headquartered in the US do any of the US rules apply to the resale of Macks from Australian sources as apply to the sale of more "warlike" assets like M113, M35/MLVW in Candaa?

Exciting times ahead

Hi All

Well it looks like there are going to be a lot of the Military vehicles sold and I hope that we, the keepers of military historical vehicles are able to obtain some of the vehicles for preservation for future generations when they come up for sale. I am sure there will be a lot of interest and I hope we will not be excluded. I have attached the news paper report from the South Australia ADVERTISER today, 2nd July 2011. :coffee

Cheers

Tony :no4:

Thanks Local Chap! :thup2:

Now that little lot looks interesting, 10 years will go by quickly what are they intending to replace the sold off items with then
cheers
Les