Australian Defence Force purchases out of date tanks!

$528m tanks take us into brave new world: Nelson
24th September 2006, 10:15 WST

Australia’s new army tanks could see action on the battlefield, unlike their predecessors, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson warned.

Taking delivery of the first of the army’s new M1A1 Abrams tanks at Port Melbourne, Dr Nelson said the world was a more dangerous place than when the Leopard tank was bought in 1977.
Australia has bought 59 Abrams battle tanks from the US for $528 million. Each weighs 63 tonnes and can reach almost 70kmh.

“The 59 Abrams tanks that we are likely to be using over the next 30 years, I hope and pray that they will never have to be used in anger,” he said.

But he said the reality was that the world was changing quickly, particularly over the past five years.

The tanks have been reconditioned from tanks built in 1989 but Dr Nelson denied Australia had bought second-hand goods, saying most components were new.

Well it seems the Federal Governments $11 Billion surplus is being wasted again, oh that's right the surplus included these purchases, just shows how the poor in this country missing out on a health system that works, dental treatments, and facing fines the same as their millionare counterparts for trivial matters just to keep them poor.

So we as a country have purchased used tanks! What an absolute waste! If I brought a car in 1989 it would be 17 years old, uneconomical and unsafe but the defence force, especially Armour sections are thought that little of that the Defence Force doesn't care that they are old unsafe tanks!

If the government was going to spend money they should at least purchase modern, up to date equipment not old outdated equipment past it's use by date.

Regards
Daniel