Canberra cancelled robot bomb unit
November 06, 2007
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THE Howard Government cancelled work in 2004 to develop robotic technology capable of dealing with roadside bombs, which could have saved Sergeant Michael Lyddiard from the severe injuries he suffered in Afghanistan last week.
Known by its army designation, Project Land 133 was shut down by former defence minister Robert Hill.
The aim of the program was to develop robotic technology to counter so called IEDs (improvised explosive devices), the leading cause of coalition casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Questions are now being asked inside Defence as to why Australian soldiers and explosive detector dogs are being used to render roadside bombs safe when other NATO forces use advanced robotics.
Thousands of remote-control mine and IED detectors have been rushed to Afghanistan and Iraq by the US military, with more than 5000 in operation last April, up from 150 in 2004.
The ADF, however, relies mainly on sniffer dogs and perilous manual defusing.
The danger was brought home last Friday when Queensland-based Sergeant Lyddiard sustained serious wounds while trying to manually defuse an IED during a route clearance operation in south-central Oruzgan province.
In 2004, aware of the emerging threat posed by IEDs, the army had been trialling tests involving a robotic powered Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle fitted with hi-tech sensors able to detect roadside bombs or land mines.
The Australian understands that early tests of the Route and Area Mine Neutralisation System recorded a 95 per cent detection rate of explosives.
Instead of being issued with advanced robotic detection equipment, the ADF in Afghanistan relies on a South African 1980s vintage "Chubby" anti-mine tractor, explosive detection dogs and full body armour for manually defusing bombs.
The ADF yesterday confirmed that incidents of IED attacks were increasing in Afghanistan.
Of special concern was the increasing technical sophistication of IED weaponry used by Taliban insurgents.
"(The International Security Assistance Force) recently announced the interdiction of large quantities of specialised IED componentry entering Afghanistan from neighbouring countries," said Defence spokesman Andrew Nikolic.
"There is also evidence of radio-controlled devices being constructed in the Pakistan border regions by the Taliban and their supporters and smuggled into Afghanistan for use against ISAF troops and Afghan security forces."
According to Australian Defence Business Review magazine, the ADF is seeking to fast-track the acquisition of a remote-controlled IED route clearance system in line with the US and other NATO countries.
A spokesman for Defence Minister Brendan Nelson yesterday admitted the project had been shut down but said the decision was taken on the advice of the army.
More on link
November 06, 2007
Article Link
THE Howard Government cancelled work in 2004 to develop robotic technology capable of dealing with roadside bombs, which could have saved Sergeant Michael Lyddiard from the severe injuries he suffered in Afghanistan last week.
Known by its army designation, Project Land 133 was shut down by former defence minister Robert Hill.
The aim of the program was to develop robotic technology to counter so called IEDs (improvised explosive devices), the leading cause of coalition casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Questions are now being asked inside Defence as to why Australian soldiers and explosive detector dogs are being used to render roadside bombs safe when other NATO forces use advanced robotics.
Thousands of remote-control mine and IED detectors have been rushed to Afghanistan and Iraq by the US military, with more than 5000 in operation last April, up from 150 in 2004.
The ADF, however, relies mainly on sniffer dogs and perilous manual defusing.
The danger was brought home last Friday when Queensland-based Sergeant Lyddiard sustained serious wounds while trying to manually defuse an IED during a route clearance operation in south-central Oruzgan province.
In 2004, aware of the emerging threat posed by IEDs, the army had been trialling tests involving a robotic powered Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle fitted with hi-tech sensors able to detect roadside bombs or land mines.
The Australian understands that early tests of the Route and Area Mine Neutralisation System recorded a 95 per cent detection rate of explosives.
Instead of being issued with advanced robotic detection equipment, the ADF in Afghanistan relies on a South African 1980s vintage "Chubby" anti-mine tractor, explosive detection dogs and full body armour for manually defusing bombs.
The ADF yesterday confirmed that incidents of IED attacks were increasing in Afghanistan.
Of special concern was the increasing technical sophistication of IED weaponry used by Taliban insurgents.
"(The International Security Assistance Force) recently announced the interdiction of large quantities of specialised IED componentry entering Afghanistan from neighbouring countries," said Defence spokesman Andrew Nikolic.
"There is also evidence of radio-controlled devices being constructed in the Pakistan border regions by the Taliban and their supporters and smuggled into Afghanistan for use against ISAF troops and Afghan security forces."
According to Australian Defence Business Review magazine, the ADF is seeking to fast-track the acquisition of a remote-controlled IED route clearance system in line with the US and other NATO countries.
A spokesman for Defence Minister Brendan Nelson yesterday admitted the project had been shut down but said the decision was taken on the advice of the army.
More on link
