£5 million army deal for Land Rover
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Land Rover has captured what could well be the biggest single military order for light 4x4s this year with a 250 million order to supply 2,900 vehicles to the Australian Army.
Details of the order, which is still subject to contractual negotiations, were announced last week by Australian Defence Minister, Kim Beazley.
Under the contract, Land Rover will supply 2,500 long wheelbase 2.5-litre diesel One-Ten Land Rovers — to an Australian military specification — and 400 special 6x6 vehicles based on One-Ten components and bodywork.
The six-wheel-drive Land Rovers have been developed jointly by the Australian Army and Jaguar Rover Australia.
Land Rover will supply all the vehicles in kit form to Australia for assembly at JRA's Sydney plant. According to Land Rover the order will be completed "over a period of years".
In the contest to choose the new army vehicles — called Project Perentie — Land Rover beat off competition from Mercedes-Benz and AMC Jeep, as well as Japanese manufacturers.
Land Rover is still thought to be in the running for another major military order for 4,000 vehicles for the Swiss Army (CM, January 25).
Following the introduction of new emission regulations by the Swiss Government, which now also apply to military vehicles, Land Rover is currently undergoing repeat trials with vehicles fitted with catalytic convertors.
Its main competitor for the order is again the MercedesBenz G-Wagen, built by the Austrian four-wheel-drive specialists, Steyr Daimler Puch.