The soldiers who operate Army’s land tactical vehicles shared their insights with representatives from other nations who use the machinery at a conference in Brisbane.
The biannual Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles User Nations Group Conference brought together ADF members and representatives from eight International Rheinmetall MAN user nations, including Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and welcomed new participant nations Denmark, Sweden, Singapore and Norway.
The conference focused on describing the changing strategic environment and the impact it has on sustaining military capability.
Participants also shared experiences gained through the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing war in Ukraine.
Director General Platforms – Army Brigadier Colin Bassett said the event reinforced collaboration and innovation between user nations operating Rheinmetall MAN vehicles.
“We are stronger when we work together with a common purpose to improve and modernise our common fleet of vehicles,” Brigadier Bassett said.
During the conference, attendees visited Gallipoli Barracks, where soldiers from 7th Combat Service Support Battalion (CSSB), with support from units across 7th Brigade, arranged a series of static displays and live demonstrations showcasing Army’s land tactical vehicle fleet.
Commanding Officer 7th Combat Service Support Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Amber Humphreys said the capability displays were well received.
“It was a valuable opportunity to showcase our land tactical vehicle fleet to this many international delegations at the one time,” Lieutenant Colonel Humphreys said.
ADF soldiers described their experiences operating the capabilities before and during Talisman Sabre 2023.
“Our soldiers were able speak directly to the user nations and explain our unique Australian variants of the Rheinmetall vehicles and took the opportunity to provide feedback to key Rheinmetall MAN engineering staff,” Lieutenant Colonel Humphreys said.
