Australia - Defence's spending debacle

In the mid-1990s, Defence decided it wanted a new anti-submarine torpedo that could be deployed on frigates, helicopters, and patrol aircraft. Phase 1 of this acquisition started in March 1998. Twelve years and two months later, $391 million has been spent and there's still no torpedo. The whole thing would be substantially over budget if they hadn't eliminated three of the five platforms the torpedo was originally supposed to be deployed on.

The $16 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is well on its way to becoming as iconic a debacle as the Collins class submarine. The Seasprite helicopter was cancelled in 2008, because it was already running seven years late, and we'd already spent $1 billion on it. The upgrade of the M113 armoured personnel carriers are three years overdue.The Wedgetail airborne early warning program is four years overdue. The Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter: also four years overdue, and mired in contractual disputes. The Auditor General found the M113 upgrade had been characterised by "poor project management practices; ineffective project planning; inadequately defined project objectives; and technical problems"..............................................Read More

Posted in: Armoured Vehicles,Australia,AWACS,Helicopter,Naval,Submarine