Herald Sun, DESPITE delays and cost over-runs, Defence chief General Peter Cosgrove believes the army's upgraded armoured personnel carriers will be ready on time and on budget.
Inspecting a prototype of the 350 vehicles, General Cosgrove said upgraded M113 APCs would be vital to the infantry should Australia need defending.
They were introduced in the 1960s and will be 60 years old when they stop being used.
The $500 million upgrade by Tenix will add 66cm to 171 vehicles, new armour and machinegun turrets and armoured external fuel tanks.
General Cosgrove said the military was “vigorously exploring” deploying some instructors to Iraq.
AUSTRALIANS were temporarily evacuated from the Carthage Hotel in Baghdad two weeks ago after a terrorist threat, Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday. The threat against the hotel near the Australian mission was the most specific yet.
“Whether it was valid, we don't know,” he said.
