Super- tanks contract win
QUEENSLAND will be supercharged by a multi- billion dollar jobs boom lasting 30 years, after the state was last night chosen to build a state- of- theart fleet of 211 super- tanks for the Australian Defence Force.
About 150 of the machines will be based in Queensland to support brigades in Townsville and Enoggera.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will this morning announce Rheinmetall Defence Australia has won the $ 5 billion mega- contract to build 211 Boxer CRV tanks at Ipswich, beating a Victorian bid. The lucrative announcement now puts the state in the hot seat to win Land 400 phase 3, a $ 15 billion deal to build mounted close combat vehicles.
The project will significantly help diversify Queensland’s economy, creating almost 1500 jobs across Australia and wash $ 10 billion through Defence supply chains. Most of the money will be spent and invested in Queensland, including Army bases at Townsville, Rockhampton and Enoggera.
About $ 235 million across the country will be spent on new infrastructure needed to secure the vehicles.
News Corp Australia and the Federal Coalition’s 26 parliamentarians, who dubbed themselves “Team Queensland”, launched an eightmonth campaign to win the project, which was ticked off by National Security Committee ( NSC) last night.
Queensland was awarded the contract over Victoria and BAE Systems Australia, which in the past few weeks launched a national advertising blitz to stop Queensland from win- ning one of the biggest Defence projects.
The Government’s announcement will help reset the Queensland economy and guarantee jobs for the next 30 years because the vehicles will require refits and servicing.
It is understood Rheinmetall’s Boxer CRV was the far superior vehicle and has a bigger export footprint to South- East Asian countries and the potential to break into the US.
However, it is understood the Boxer was more expensive. The Government had planned to buy 225 vehicles but will now acquire 211. The Boxer will replace the Army’s ageing Australian Light Armoured Vehicle, used in overseas combat. The highly lethal wheeled vehicles can withstand a direct bomb attack, with cannons letting rip 200 rounds of ammunition a minute.
The Boxer can also defend itself by using a pulse to blow up an incoming missile.
Mr Turnbull said last night it was good news for the Australian Defence Force and Australians.
“The world- class vehicles will be manufactured and de- livered by Australian workers, using Australian steel,’’ Mr Turnbull said.
“The 211 vehicles will provide improved safety to Australian soldiers on deployment and on exercises around the world.
“They will boost mobility and firepower on the battlefield in the decades ahead.
“Over the 30- year life of the vehicles, Australian industry will secure two- thirds, or $ 10.2 billion, of the total investment in acquiring and maintaining the fleet, creating up to 1450 jobs right across Australia.”