The Australian government is investing A$31 million in a new, three-story armored vehicle simulation center in Townsville that will boost the army’s close combat warfighting capability.
The facility will support the training of 3rd Brigade soldiers at Lavarack Barracks for the upgraded M1 Abrams main battle tank and incoming LAND 400 and LAND 8160 armored vehicle capabilities.
Construction works are set to start this month and be finished in mid-2022.
Australian defense industry minister Melissa Price said the contract had been awarded to construction company St Hilliers as part of the $235 million armored fighting vehicle facilities program stage 1 works.
Other Stage 1 works, including those at Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria, and Edinburgh Defence Precinct, South Australia, will be delivered under separate contracts.
“The LAND 400 Phase 2 Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles and the Phase 3 infantry fighting vehicles will represent a generational leap in the Australian Army’s warfighting capability,” minister Price said.
“Together with the upgraded M1 tank and its armoured engineering variants, these vehicles will deliver a world-class close combat capability for Australia.
“These new vehicles will employ networked, high-fidelity training simulators in new, future ready training centers.”
