AUS getting some Cdn vehicles in AFG

[The Bread Guy]

Australia and Canada will strengthen their defence relationship by holding annual top-level talks, after signing a deal for Australian troops in Afghanistan to borrow three armoured vehicles to clear roads of insurgent bombs.

The vehicles are specially designed to detect and counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and feature radar to detect IEDs and a robotic arm to defuse concealed devices.

Defence minister Stephen Smith, speaking at a joint media conference with visiting Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay in Canberra, said the vehicles would be available early next year and significantly boost the capability of Australian forces to counter the IED peril.
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"Australia will obtain from Canada some anti-IED capability, protected vehicles with sensor arrangements," Mr Smith told reporters on Monday.

"We will take use of these facilities from early next year as Canada winds down its effort in Kandahar."

Mr MacKay said the counter-IED equipment Canada was loaning Australia was a lifesaver.

"It's that simple. You can't put it any other way," he said.

"In our experience in Afghanistan ... IEDs are the scourge of this war.

"This type of warfare is not going away." ....

Sydney Morning Herald, 12 Sept 11

Higher level messages from AUS Minister's statement:

.... Our discussions today also focused on our respective Defence reform programs. Balancing complex strategic challenges with growing budgetary pressures is something many countries are grappling with, Canada and Australia included.

We agreed to establish a Strategic Dialogue on Defence reform, capability, procurement and budget management to share experiences and discuss common challenges.

We also agreed to establish an annual Defence Minister Meeting, annual meetings between our Defence Force Chiefs, along with annual officials level Defence policy talks.

While in Australia Minister MacKay will also meet with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd, the Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare and Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor.

Minister Mackay will also hold discussions with senior Defence officials, and visit Australian Defence facilities ....

 

[McG]

The Australians are getting some of our EROC.  4 ESR & CFSME will be running a primarily Austrailian filled course in the near future.

 

[The Bread Guy]

A bit more from our Minister's statement at the end of the visit:

.... Canada and Australia worked closely together in Afghanistan, and continue to build on their strong bilateral defence relations. Minister MacKay agreed to loan two Husky armoured vehicles and one Buffalo mine-protected vehicle to Australia until the end of 2012, which will allow their engineers in Oruzgan province to detect explosive hazards with low metal content, such as mines and improvised explosive devices ....

More higher-level messaging in the full statement here.

 

[Argus562]

Good show. I'm sure the Diggers will really appreciate the added kit. Afghanistan isn't over by a long shot yet.  :yellow:

 

[armyvern]

Good show. I'm sure the Diggers will really appreciate the added kit. Afghanistan isn't over by a long shot yet.  :yellow:

Yep, they appreciate it. Big smiles.

 

[Wookilar]

What they didn't appreciate was the Gagetown training area and its resident weather system. Thought a couple of them were going to freeze....and we were walking around in our t-shirts until this last couple of days.

Wook

 

[downinOZ]

Where are  they?  Not attached to American Route clearance package teams? 
It is definitely moving away from t-shirt weather.

 

[Wookilar]

We ran two courses here Gagetown for the Aussies, a train-the-trainer deal so they can go back and train their own pers.

Wook