Defence’s plans to acquire some 1,300 Protected Mobility Vehicles – Light (PMV-L) and then to replace around 1,300 M113s, ASLAVs and Bushmasters in project Land 400 provide a unique opportunity for a specialist sector of Australia’s defence industry.

Work on transforming the ADF’s F88 Austeyr assault rifle into a more lethal, accurate weapon with an ability to embed electronic architecture is proceeding on schedule, with six prototypes now developed and testing planned in temperatures ranging from extremely hot to freezing.

Some 113 variants of the Australian Army’s most heavily tasked armoured fleet – the ubiquitous ASLAV – are to receive additional protective armour and other enhancements, endowing them with the highest possible combat protection and capability in the future.

Project Overlander Land 121 has seen some ups and downs during its lifetime.

The Army’s Battlefield Command Support System – a major plank in the networking of the Land Force – now forms part of the Joint Command Support Environment, an integrated operational environment that links all ADF elements.

Among military circles globally there has been growing interest over Sri Lanka’s successful counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign that led to the military defeat of the formidable Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, making it one of the most significant COIN success stories since the defeat of the Communist insurgency in Malaya in the 1950s, and perhaps the most remarkable COIN victory in the post-World War II era.

This year’s Land Warfare Conference (LWC) promises to throw some light on a number of defence projects designed to deliver new or upgraded Army capabilities.

While the battle management system (BMS) being acquired under Land 200 has yet to be introduced into service, it would seem that the Army is already more than impressed with its capabilities, believed to be beyond those originally sought for the system.

Soldiers from Australia's current Rotary Wing Group rotation have returned home for a well earned break and mandatory maintenance on their aircraft.

The Australian Medical Task Force has successfully completed its aid mission in Pakistan and is returning to Australia.

Force Protection will manufacture and support its Ocelot vehicle in Adelaide if it is successful in securing the Land 121 Phase 4 protected mobility contract.

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to provide T150F track link assemblies and sprockets that will be used on upgraded M113 vehicles in Australia.

The Land 17 self-propelled 155mm artillery requirement, for which KMW/BAE Systems and Raytheon/ Samsung Techwin tendered, may be shelved until 2012.

The UK Ministry of Defence has selected Force Protection to supply its Ocelot for the urgent operational requirement for the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle program.

US radio giant Harris Corporation has received a US$9.5 million contract to provide engineering services to support the Defence’s Land 200 (L125/75) soldier modernization program.

The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV) has been down-selected for the next stage in the selection process for the Canadian Army’s Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) Program.