The first of 10 ‘refreshed’ M1A1 Abrams tanks has been delivered to the Army’s School of Armour at Puckapunyal, Victoria.
The Land Systems Division (LSD) within the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) worked with Army and Joint Logistics Unit – Victoria (JLU-V) to deliver the tanks as part of a major Tank Technical Refresh and Remediation Program.
Approved by Army in May 2013, the $59 million program aims to enhance Army’s 59 M1A1 Abrams tanks and seven M88A2 Hercules Armoured Recovery Vehicles. The program, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018, will update the baseline configuration of the tanks and M88s, undertake major upgrades and address obsolescence and fatigue issues.
Work on the M1A1 Tank fleet is being undertaken by the Broadspectrum (formerly Transfield) workforce at JLU-V, in Bandiana. This has created employment opportunities for the local community, as well as facilitating up-skilling of Transfield staff, who have undergone on-the-job training with M1A1 specialists from the US Anniston Army Depot. Work on the Hercules vehicles will be undertaken by a BAE Systems team from the US at Joint Logistic Unit – North, in Darwin, commencing in early 2017.
“The implementation of the ‘Refresh’ program, combined with a fleet rotation that aims to even out usage across the fleet, is expected to allow the tanks to be supported through to life of type,” CASG Head Land Systems Major General Paul McLachlan said.
In line with the Tank Technical Refresh, the tank program team at LSD completed an upgrade and refresh of all M1A1 Tank simulation earlier this year at the School of Armour and 1st Armoured Regiment. They will soon also commence an upgrade and refresh program on the M1A1’s AGT1500 turbine engine. This will be conducted by TAE, an Australian company that has undertaken repairs on the engines since August 2013 and which, compared to the previous practice of returning the engines to the US for repairs, has saved 90 per cent on the repair costs and up to 50 per cent on turn-around time.