Post by fyl on Aug 30, 2011 9:13:52 GMT 12
Article from Stuff - www.stuff.co.nz/national/5528764/Soldiers-rifles-fail-to-hit-their-target
Can't believe how long this has taken! The whole thing was kicked off in 2008 and yet not a single project has been completed yet! Seems to be excessive delivery times for the sniper and marksmen rifles too...not available till 2013..
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Management failures in the army have left soldiers with rifles that cannot accurately hit a target beyond the length of two rugby fields, while a range of other needed equipment is being delivered years later than planned, a Defence Ministry report reveals.
"Operations in Afghanistan have identified a need to be able to conduct precision engagements at ranges greater than can be achieved with the current in-service weapon," according to a department evaluation division study.
Cabinet agreed in 2008 that better weapons were needed and voted $36 million for 10 new and modified weapon systems. Not a single project has been completed yet.
"The prime reasons for the delays in project progress are shortages of project staff and that none of the army project personnel, including the programme manager, were fully project trained," the study said.
"The completion of the overall programme by late 2015 is in question."
Cabinet had approved new machine guns, shotguns, marksmen weapons, sniper rifles and Steyr upgrades and grenade launchers, as well as tripods and target acquisition systems, new pistols and new 84mm anti-tank weapons.
None has come through and soldiers are left with old and obsolete weapons.
Cabinet was not told the replacement programme had gone beyond "capital and operating limits agreed to," the report said.
As a result the army had 13,000 Steyr 5.56mm assault rifles that were "not powerful enough to identify accurately adversaries and is ineffective at ranges greater than 200m".
About 3000 Steyrs were to have better sights by now but that could take another two years, the report said.
The Steyrs are 24 years old, but the report said despite their age, "much of the existing stock is in sound condition and is capable of providing at least a further eight years of service".
The army was supposed to have new machine guns this year but will probably not get them until December 2013.
When the army initially asked for Cabinet approval, it said the new machine guns would cost $8.4 million. But the army subsequently decided to switch from the current 5.56mm C9 Minimi guns to 7.62mm Light Support Weapons – pushing the cost up to $16 million.
"The discrepancy demonstrates the risks of not obtaining sufficient information from industry when preparing an investment case," the report said.
The army, which does not have many shotguns, decided in 2007 it needed 311 of the weapons but it will not finish ordering them until December next year.
"A shotgun has become increasingly important in stability and support-type operations where a less-lethal capability is required."
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Cabinet had said the army could have 50 sniper rifles at a cost of $2.2 million by next year, but it will now be another two years before it gets them.
An order for 100 new marksmen rifles will not arrive until 2013, while another order to replace the obsolete sights on the army's existing Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifles, which should have happened this month, will now not be delivered until September 2015. The current sights do "not prove the required levels of consistency to enhance the precision of the weapon system", the report said.
The study said the problems had been caused by a shortage in the military of people who could manage projects. "We think that attempting to undertake 10 weapon replacement projects in parallel was overly ambitious."
- The Dominion Post
Can't believe how long this has taken! The whole thing was kicked off in 2008 and yet not a single project has been completed yet! Seems to be excessive delivery times for the sniper and marksmen rifles too...not available till 2013..
**************************************************
Management failures in the army have left soldiers with rifles that cannot accurately hit a target beyond the length of two rugby fields, while a range of other needed equipment is being delivered years later than planned, a Defence Ministry report reveals.
"Operations in Afghanistan have identified a need to be able to conduct precision engagements at ranges greater than can be achieved with the current in-service weapon," according to a department evaluation division study.
Cabinet agreed in 2008 that better weapons were needed and voted $36 million for 10 new and modified weapon systems. Not a single project has been completed yet.
"The prime reasons for the delays in project progress are shortages of project staff and that none of the army project personnel, including the programme manager, were fully project trained," the study said.
"The completion of the overall programme by late 2015 is in question."
Cabinet had approved new machine guns, shotguns, marksmen weapons, sniper rifles and Steyr upgrades and grenade launchers, as well as tripods and target acquisition systems, new pistols and new 84mm anti-tank weapons.
None has come through and soldiers are left with old and obsolete weapons.
Cabinet was not told the replacement programme had gone beyond "capital and operating limits agreed to," the report said.
As a result the army had 13,000 Steyr 5.56mm assault rifles that were "not powerful enough to identify accurately adversaries and is ineffective at ranges greater than 200m".
About 3000 Steyrs were to have better sights by now but that could take another two years, the report said.
The Steyrs are 24 years old, but the report said despite their age, "much of the existing stock is in sound condition and is capable of providing at least a further eight years of service".
The army was supposed to have new machine guns this year but will probably not get them until December 2013.
When the army initially asked for Cabinet approval, it said the new machine guns would cost $8.4 million. But the army subsequently decided to switch from the current 5.56mm C9 Minimi guns to 7.62mm Light Support Weapons – pushing the cost up to $16 million.
"The discrepancy demonstrates the risks of not obtaining sufficient information from industry when preparing an investment case," the report said.
The army, which does not have many shotguns, decided in 2007 it needed 311 of the weapons but it will not finish ordering them until December next year.
"A shotgun has become increasingly important in stability and support-type operations where a less-lethal capability is required."
Ad Feedback
Cabinet had said the army could have 50 sniper rifles at a cost of $2.2 million by next year, but it will now be another two years before it gets them.
An order for 100 new marksmen rifles will not arrive until 2013, while another order to replace the obsolete sights on the army's existing Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifles, which should have happened this month, will now not be delivered until September 2015. The current sights do "not prove the required levels of consistency to enhance the precision of the weapon system", the report said.
The study said the problems had been caused by a shortage in the military of people who could manage projects. "We think that attempting to undertake 10 weapon replacement projects in parallel was overly ambitious."
- The Dominion Post
average per weapon. Sorry I can't remember the number but it really surprised everyone. 