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| $550 million-plus to be spent on Australian troops in Afghanistan |
| News - Local |
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MORE than $550 million will be spent during the next 12 months to better protect Australia's 1090 troops fighting in Afghanistan.
The money will fund armoured vehicle improvements, protected living containers, more bomb disposal robots and boost spy plane flights targeting Taliban forces. The half-billion dollar taxpayer investment is by far the biggest chunk of a proposed financial "surge'' that will double annual military spending on Operation Slipper to $1.4 billion in 2009-2010. That is a massive $26,923,076 a week, or $3,835,616 for every day of operations. On a per head basis it amounts to $1,288,403 for every Australian soldier posted to the war-ravaged country. The amount also includes a $59 million donation to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund. The defence purchasing organisation, the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), will outlay more than $550 million on so-called "rapid acquisitions'' to improve troop secuirity as they battle Taliban insurgents. The money will fund a raft of protective measures including remote weapons and armoured sleeping huts. Big ticket items on the 124 item shopping list include: BUSHMASTER vehicle protected weapons station, anti-explosive liner and automatic fire suppression system COUNTER Improvised Explosive Device (IED) package including robots $56 MILLION extra for Boeing Scan Eagle drone spy flights ARMOURED accommodation including bomb proof living containers Defence said that in addition to $550 million worth of new equipment, payments and improvements, an extra $110 million would be spent on operations, moving other elements under Operation Slipper and supporting Afghan elections in August. It also includes money for remediation activities such as act-of-grace or honour payments to civilian victims. One of the biggest expenses will be salaries, wages and allowances and other employee costs of about $140 million to pay 1100 soldiers. Other outlays include logistics support and strategic lift by RAAF C-17 jets and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. According to the latest budget papers the cost of the war is expected to drop to $181 million in 2010-11, $108.6 million in 2011-12 and $59.3 million in 2012-13. Meanwhile the commander of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF), Lieutenant Colonel Shane Gabriel, has released details of the latest successful operation involving Australian and Afghan troops. Operation Zamari Lor or Tiger Scythe took place in the Miribad region to the east of Tarin Kowt. "I don't think you could ask for a much better measure of success than to move into an area and demonstrate to the local people that the Afghan National Army is here to secure the location,'' Lt Colonel Gabriel said. Ian McPhedran 15th June 2009 Source: Herald Sun |