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| A total of 211 Rheinmetall Boxer CRV type combat vehicles will be produced in Queensland. (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE / AUSTRALIA PLUS) |
CANBERRA - The Australian Army made a new history in combat vehicle spending with a record value of up to 5 billion dollars (about Rp 50 trillion).
German contractor Rheinmetall is set to build 211 light armored vehicles at a new facility in Ipswich City, west of Brisbane.
The Federal Government estimates the project will create 330 jobs in Queensland state, with 170 positions in Victoria and 140 others in New South Wales. "Australian companies in Victoria and Queensland are big winners, as do other states," said Defense Industry Minister Christopher Pyne.
Also read: The number of Indonesia-Australia flights will be added "And most importantly we are preparing the capabilities needed by the Armed Forces (ADF) as a modern army to face possible challenges in the future," he said. "The Army will get a very lethal and unprotected vehicle to guard our troops," he said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the contract of this project at the Enoggera Army headquarters in Brisbane, on Wednesday (14/3/2018) morning. Advertisment "It concerns the security of Australia, but it is not merely military ability," said PM Turnbull. "That ensures that we have for the first time, a sovereign and fully integrated national defense industry," he said.
Defense Secretary Marise Payne said the selected armored vehicle had undergone rigorous testing. While for the procurement and maintenance of combat vehicles is estimated to cost 15.7 billion dollars (more than Rp 150 trillion).
Also read: Breaking down the Potential Indonesia-Australia Conflict in Defense The government says it is the biggest shopping record for the Australian army.
"In previous years, we bought vehicles from abroad and imported them into this country," Pyne said.
The new combat vehicle is expected to last for 30 years and will be used for peacekeeping maintenance and high-threat operations.