Australian Lepoard Tanks

[Jared Archibald]

G’day everyone,

I have been having a heck of a time lately logging onto MLU. I thought it might have been due to the cyclone but the problem seems to be persisting.

Anyway, I have some knowledge on the subject of the retired Leopards and will share it with you now.
I applied for one of the “gate guardian” engineless tanks for a group that I belong to here in Darwin. It basically came down to the fact that ‘if you don’t ask-you don’t get’. I applied within the timeframe and outlined in detail why we would make worthy recipients of a Leopard. There was very little information forthcoming on what the Defence Dept was looking for so we did our best. We heard nothing whatsoever - not even a courtesy note to say that the application had been received and was under consideration.
I then tried a different approach. I applied for one of the surplus WW11 era Naval Bofors that have been removed from the decommissioned and now scrapped Fremantle Class patrol boats. I applied directly to the Commander of the Patrol Boat Group here in Darwin. The response was much better. I received a reply stating that he felt that the request was appropriate and that he had passed it onto the ADF Disposals and Marketing Agency. Some weeks later (November 2007) I received a call from this agency and was quizzed about various aspects of my request:- who we were, where would the item be held, and so on. I was informed that all the Bofors had been spoken for (there is apparently great competition within the three arms of the ADF for gate guardians of all descriptions). I have since seen one of the Bofors installed in the grounds of the Naval Cadet building here in Darwin.
So, while I had this bloke on the phone I asked him about the situation with the Leopard tanks. He informed me that the decisions on who would get the thirty on offer had already been made, and this could be found on the website for the Minister of Defence. He was correct. It was laid out very clearly in a table where they were all going, and what criteria was used to come to these decisions. It was interesting that almost every single recipient was an RSL. There were no museums as such getting a Leopard, unless they were attached to an RSL. To see this document, go to http://www.liberal.org.au/team/brend...pardTanks.pdf.
Having read this document again, and Ian Pullen’s response, it may mean that although the decisions were made, due to the change in government these allocations may not be honoured. We will have to see. They will have to be careful though as the minister personally announced that the Palmerston RSL (15 minutes from me and 5 minutes from 1st Armoured Regiment) was the only place in the Northern Territory receiving a Leopard. There will be lots of unhappy people if one doesn’t appear here sometime in the future.

I asked him about the chance of getting a running Leopard. He stated emphatically that there would be no chance of this. In this age high security and litigiousness, there is no way that the ADF would allow running armoured vehicles to be sold off to the general public - especially something as “war-like” as a Leopard MBT. The ADF would not risk the public relations nightmare of some idiot running amok in an armoured vehicle that was originally owned by them. (A case in point was the lunatic last year that smashed the mobile phone towers in a privately owned APC).
The only Leopards that I could envisage being released for sale in running condition would be the bridge layers, and maybe the ARVs. These do not have the ‘menace’ or armament of a main battle tank.

However, I would love one, and I live in hope……

Jared

[Ryan]

This is from the Australian newspaper, seems the whole fleet is now up for sale to an overseas country.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...rom=public_rss

What a shame, if it goes ahead.

[Ian Pullen]

Guys, it has been quite a few months since I have had the chance to grace these hallowed halls and I have been asked more than just a few questions as to the Leopard fleet and when the cheque books can come out.
The simple answer is put them back, the only movement that has happened with ANY of the Leopards, is to move the ones that were in a wharehouse out into the open with all the others.
There are discussions as to selling them off to a foreign country, (no secret as you have all read the links in the paper). The alternative if you don't like that is to do something that we would all feel would be a lot worse.
Scrap metal values are rather good at the moment.
As for the (gift) tanks, I haven't actually seen any yet, have you???
We would all be living in fairy land if we actually believed in today's climate that they would seel them to the public. I though, like the rest of you can dream.

[BSHEVLIN]

a squadron worth of smokers have been sent to the raaf base at Katherine for hard targets for the aircraft bombing range. (! confirmed arrival !)

[BSHEVLIN]

ps i heard a rumor that some one on the qld / nsw border has negotiated the sale of a runner, a greyman amour collector who wants to remain anomys

[Ian Pullen]

I have made a few discreet enquiries and the rumour about a collector buying a Leo is just that.
The reply I got was if they sold one it would set a precedence and as they do not want to release them at public auction, it would be a Furphy that a collector would have one.
Still even if there is a .01% chance, the line starts here gentlemen.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Any whispers as to what country might be interested in the Leopards?