It appears Stephen Smith, the Minister for Defence, agrees with me. Read what the Minister says in today’s
Sydney Morning Herald via link
HERE.
To quote some extracts:
Mr Smith and the Defence Materiel Minister, Jason Clare, refused to condemn the hierarchy of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), which buys everything from salt shakers to submarines, but said there were serious ''institutional'' problems within Defence.
Mr Smith said the LCM Watercraft project had been axed because the boats could not be launched from the amphibious transport ships HMAS Manoora and Kanimbla.
''That was not a project with which Defence covered itself with glory,'' he said. ''At a cost of some $40 million to the Australian taxpayer, this is precisely what we are seeking to avoid in the future.''
It’s fascinating reading what the Defence Minister
himself says about those in charge, whilst I am attacked constantly when I mention that the military hierarchy can’t even allocate international airspace classifications to its airspace.
It’s interesting that Andrew Davies of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute is quoted in the same article as saying,
''I'm just shaking my head at some of this. Where to begin?'' Dr Davies said. ''Watercraft that don't fit the ships they were supposed to fit, and the ships are being retired anyway?"
Yes, once again, another Super Seasprite fiasco. And why would it just be in purchasing equipment? It sounds to me as if the total lack of competent leadership permeates the whole organisation.
Yes, I know there are plenty of good people in our military, but they are obviously the people who never get promoted.