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Ministers and Senators Behaving Badly Series 4

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If you can't convince them, then confuse them …<br />

Details of costly blowouts <strong>and</strong> delays on troubled military projects are<br />

being kept hidden from public view by the Defence department.<br />

For over a decade, Defence has maintained a "projects of concern" list to<br />

help remediate its worst-performing military acquisitions, but visibility <strong>and</strong><br />

transparency of the regime has gradually reduced over time.<br />

Using Freedom of Information, the ABC obtained a recent Quarterly<br />

Performance Report from the Department's Capability <strong>and</strong> Sustainment<br />

Group, although much of the detail has been redacted on "national<br />

security" grounds.<br />

The protected 86-page document marked "sensitive" confirms two major<br />

projects remain on the concern list, namely the ADF's MRH90 helicopters<br />

<strong>and</strong> the Deployable Defence Air Traffic Management <strong>and</strong> Control System.<br />

Australia is spending $3.5 billion on 47 new MRH90s — a multi-role<br />

helicopter that will eventually replace the ageing Sea King <strong>and</strong> Black Hawk<br />

fleets.<br />

Defence sources acknowledged the MRH90's capability <strong>and</strong> sustainment<br />

has improved, but the fleet is currently limited on certain missions because<br />

it cannot shut down its main engines due to problems with the auxiliary<br />

power unit on board.<br />

The second project of concern, the Deployable Defence Air Traffic<br />

Management <strong>and</strong> Control System, is being purchased for use in possible<br />

conflict zones to prevent accidents between aircraft.<br />

A further 14 purchases are identified on a less critical "projects of interest"<br />

list, including amphibious ships, new air combat capability <strong>and</strong> light<br />

protected mobility vehicles.<br />

Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) senior fellow Andrew Davies said<br />

while Defence generally appeared to have the cost of projects under<br />

control, the department was struggling to deliver capabilities on schedule.<br />

The military procurement expert also believed the Defence department was<br />

being unnecessarily secretive about its problems.<br />

"Defence has been getting more <strong>and</strong> more secretive, or less transparent,<br />

year by year for the last decade or so," Dr Davies said.

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