So in my mind, it comes down to a few questions: do the Aussies want to use it overseas? If so, what are their
sealift capabilities? How much strategic flexibility are they willing to
sacrifice for greater tactical performance?
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Answers.
1/ most proberley
2/ Sealift capabilities, now theres an interesting concept, one the ADF has not taken seriuosly, we have 2 heavy, well, lift ships,
Landing Ship Heavy (LSH) (Royal Australian Navy) that can carry, well not much, but we have just bought 4 Globemaster planes, we're in the big league now.
3/ Strategy and flexibility are two words that the ADF don't use in the same sentence.
4/ sacrifice, we know sacrifice, we've been doing it for the Poms and the US since the year dot.
But seriously, We have a very small defense force, all told about 60,000. It used to be like "dads army" but now we're coming out of the dark ages and getting some decent equipment, but for some reason, they insist on buying Landrovers, Why, I'm buggered if I know. I hope we don't go the way of the "humvee", too big a vehicle. At one stage, a West Australian company called OKA, was making vehicles for the mines here, a great vehicle with heaps of pluses, but the ADF stuck with the Landrover.
It makes one wonder at times if the people making the decisions are, 1/ ADF personell and 2/ have any idea what they are doing.
No matter what happens with the new arty, It will cost heaps, will be the wrong one and it will be situation normal SNAFU.
Freddie, Hurumf, hurnmf
