Australian IT, THE Australian Defence Force has cancelled trials of the US Land Warrior system for its $1 billion Wundurra hi-tech soldier project because of more pressing hardware needs.
Originally conceived in 1996, Wundurra is designed to provide soldiers with infrared sensors, heads-up displays, GPS, communications and small, light computers.
The project received approval and funding in the 2000 Defence White Paper, Our Future Defence Force.
After investigations in 2000-1, the ADF decided to base the Australian system on the US equivalent, Land Warrior, for compatibility and availability.
Glitches in the US program caused delays to the local project. The equipment was to be tested in the first quarter of 2003, but this was pushed back to June because of reliability problems with the US system, developed by General Dynamics.
An ADF procurement review resulted in the trial being pushed back to late in the year, and then it was cancelled.
In June, a Senate estimates committee was told the “studies and initial acquisition” phase for Wundurra, initially scheduled for 2002-3, had been pushed back to 2003-4.
Adding to Wundurra's troubles, its $1 billion-plus budget has been tipped as a likely target for raids as the military prioritises other requirements.
A self-confessed sceptic of the “network-centric warfare” philosophy, Australian Strategic Policy Institute program director Aldo Borgu said: “There is a lot of fat in Wundurra and it is largely conceptual. It makes sense, if you are going to cut anything, that you cut and restructure that project.”
More pressing projects include a replacement for the Army's ageing fleet of Leopard tanks.
Despite the complications, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation had kept working on Wundurra and, “the plan is to work closely with the Land Warrior program”, a Defence spokeswoman said. Local development and testing was continuing, so “the project is well-informed” and to “assist in obtaining value for money during acquisition”.
Defence still plans final procurement for Wundurra in 2007, and other “non-integrated enhancements” such as radios and thermal weapons sights are due for delivery to selected units in 2005-6.
Meanwhile, Defence chief information officer Patrick Hannan has resigned to become chief information officer for Victoria
