Israel wins contract to supply Australian troops
FEARS of a diplomatic fallout over the forged passport affair don't seem to have hampered trade between Israel and Australia.
AJN STAFF
FEARS of a diplomatic fallout over the forged passport affair don’t seem to have hampered trade between Israel and Australia.
Israeli company Elbit Systems, which supplies the Israel Defence Forces, was this week granted the $349 million contract to supply command, control and communications systems to the Australian Army.
Australian Minister for Defence Personnel Greg Combet said the deal is a big step forward for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF).
“The introduction of this new capability will increase the ADF’s battle space awareness, automate combat messaging and assist in the successful conduct of operations,” Combet said.
Not only is the relationship a trade one, but some of the contract will be completed in Australia.
“Systems integration testing will be performed in Melbourne, while vehicle integration into over 1000 army vehicles will occur in Brisbane,” Combet said.
The new system will provide new technology in battle to more than 1500 Australian soldiers and it will also be rolled out in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Elbit CEO Joseph Ackerman said the order would be completed over the next three years.
“Australia is a very important market for Elbit Systems, and we are extremely proud to be selected by the Department of Defence for this major program,” Ackerman said.
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