Audit Call On Faulty Gear Issue To Troops

Sun Herald

Sunday February 12, 2006

By FRANK WALKER

THE Federal Opposition yesterday demanded a full audit of the way basic equipment is bought for the military after revelations that front-line troops were given faulty body armour, combat gear and helmets.

Internal Defence Department documents show troops, including the revered SAS, were put in danger by being issued combat jackets that are highly flammable and glow in the dark, making them an easy target, and cracked body armour.

The Department fought to stop the release of the documents, but was forced to release them under freedom of information laws after a long and expensive court battle by a national newspaper.

They show the extent of faulty equipment was far worse than admitted by the Howard Government and had jeopardised the safety of troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor.

Labor defence spokesman Robert McClelland said Australians would be outraged to learn their servicemen and women had been sent to war by a Government that knew they had faulty gear.

"This Government is ever ready to use the military as a backdrop for photographs, but when it comes to providing them with the basic equipment to enable them to do their job safely they have been found wanting," he said.

Mr McClelland said the Government had tried to hush up complaints from troops.

In 2004 The Sun-Herald revealed a soldier in Iraq was threatened with being sent home in disgrace unless he stopped complaining about his gear.

The army threatened disciplinary action against troops who revealed on a website they had had to buy their own gear as the army issue was inadequate.

Mr McClelland demanded a full audit of the procurement practices of the Defence Materiel Organisation to see if there was corruption or negligence.

He said Defence had concentrated too much on big ticket items such as warships and jet fighters and not done the job properly on helmets, flak jackets and clothing.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said Australian troops had "world-class equipment".

© 2006 Sun Herald

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