Jun 04. Details of the Australian Land 121 Project Overlander, were given to BATTLESPACE. The requirement involves the replacement of the ADF’s Field Vehicle & Trailer (FVT) fleet of light and lightweight Perentie Land Rovers, designed by SMC Engijneering UK in association with JRA Australia and land Rover in 1982,
Unimog 4-tonne trucks, Mack 8-tonne trucks, International S Liner prime
movers and general service trailers. This involves a total of some 7000 vehicles and 4000 trailers.
A major difficulty with the procurement process for these vehicles in
the past, was that a complete fleet of each category of vehicle had been purchased as part of the one contract with deliveries occurring over a four to five year period.
As a general rule, these vehicles had an estimated life of 15 years but
in the case of the extant fleet it was considered possible that the life would be extended to as much as 30 years. As a result of changes in tasks and functions during such a lengthy period and the introduction of new equipment requiring vehicle support, it was considered highly likely that the initial basis of provisioning might no longer be suitable.
Experience had shown that purchase of additional vehicles incurred a
significant cost premium due in part to the extra costs of small
production runs and the difficulty of obtaining components as fleets
age. It has been suggested there may be quite different cost-benefit
outcomes for Defence in either staging the procurement of vehicles over
a longer period or adopting a more frequent turnover of the fleets.
These are issues to which the contenders for Land 121 are giving close
attention with the following comments.
“If Defence is again going to extend the LOT of vehicles acquired under
Overlander, effectively doubling the guaranteed support life of say 10
years to 20 years, then they must employ an effective asset management
system and be prepared to pay for it.”
It is understood that a separate Special Operations Vehicle (SOV)
acquisition has been deferred pending the Land 121 outcome. This
suggests that 4×4 and 6×6 light truck offerings from various bidders may include optional SOV features, such as gun mountings and CH-47
portability as options from the more prescient of the Land 121
contenders!
The following teams are expected to form the short list and receive the
RFT.
I. Tenix Defence (Land Division), the Premier Automotive Group Australia (Land Rover) and Daimler Chrysler Australia.
With a vehicle production plant at Wingfield SA and CSP responsibility
for armoured vehicle support and rebuild at Bandiana, and long
experience as a Defence supplier, Tenix will surely prime the bid
offering virtually the full range of vehicles sought under Mercedes and
Land Rover badges.
PAGA will be supplying militarised versions of 4×4 and 6×6 Land Rover
Defenders virtually replacing the 4×4 and 6×6 Perenties.
Tenix and PAGA are also collaborating on the design for a Special Ops
Vehicle as a replacement for the Perentie-based, Long Range Patrol
Vehicle (LRPV), used by Special Forces.
DCA will supply the balance of the requirement including enhanced
Unimogs to replace the 2000 1700L in service as well as military
versions of the ACTROS 8×8. Nineteen versions of the latter were last
year delivered to the RAAF for their Tactical Air Defence Radar System
(TADRS) in various configurations.
II. ADI Limited teamed with Oshkosh Truck Corp and UK Pinzgauer
ADI will be offering the full range of vehicle types sought under
Overlander.
They include Pinzgauer 4×4 and 6×6 light trucks and special forces
variants to meet the lightweight and light truck requirements. The
balance of the requirement will be supplied by the Oshkosh range of
medium to heavy transporters ranging from the 7t to 15t Medium Tactical
Vehicle, the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (backbone of US Army logistics) and the 8×8 Heavy Equipment Transporte