BAE Systems Land and Integrated Systems director Kim Scott has handed Major General Grant Cavenagh a set of keys to symbolise the completion of the
last M113 production vehicle at
Bandiana.
More than 150
people attended the event to recognise the end of a decade long project to
upgrade 431 M113s.
Over the
life of the project, more than 1000 people were involved at three sites in two
states – Bandiana and at Williamstown in Victoria and Wingfield in South
Australia.
More than a
million hours went into the project which included cutting and stretching the
hulls and the design and integration of new sub-systems into the seven M113
vehicle variants.
Scott said
that while the upgraded M113s looked similar to how they would have in the
1970’s, they were ‘a generational leap ahead’ with improved firepower,
protection and habitability from the original M113 A1 vehicle.
The finished
vehicles are also more reliable and faster following the upgrade.
The project began in 2002, with the first completed vehicle delivered to
the customer in January 2007.
“It has
been an enormously challenging project but one that has resulted in the final
vehicle being completed well ahead of the contracted December 2012 deadline” Scott
said.
Kim Scott (on the right) hands Major General Grant Cavenagh a set of keys to symbolise the completion of the last M113 production vehicle at Bandiana.
