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https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/ukraine-fury-as-australia-offloads-military-gear-on-ebay-for-weapons-20240918-p5kbet.html>
"Decommissioned Australian military equipment keenly sought by Ukraine to help
its fight against invading Russian forces is being sold for recreational use on
eBay-style auction websites, angering the Ukrainian diaspora and sparking calls
for an overhaul of Defence Force disposal policies.
The federal government has also rebuffed repeated entreaties to send hundreds
of Chinese-made surveillance drones to Ukraine that were grounded because of
security concerns but work perfectly and have played a crucial role in saving
Ukrainian soldiers’ lives.
The Ukrainian-Australian community was bitterly disappointed earlier this year
when the government opted to dismantle and bury its grounded fleet of MRH-90
Taipan helicopters rather than take up a formal request to donate them to the
Ukrainian army.
The Pickles Auctions firm has monthly online auctions of decommissioned
military equipment, with the next sell-off slated for early October.
In recent months, the firm’s Facebook page has invited “off-road enthusiasts”
to bid on decommissioned army long-range patrol vehicles, troop carriers and
Land Rovers, saying “there’s a vehicle to suit every adventure”.
One of the long-range patrol vehicles – used by Special Air Services soldiers
in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars – reportedly sold for $113,000 last year.
Colin Werner, the general manager of Australian Frontline Machinery, the sole
contractor for the resale of ADF equipment, said in an interview this year that
ex-army Land Rovers bought at auction were usually used as campers or for
off-road driving, while larger vehicles were typically used for commercial
purposes.
Kateryna Argyrou, co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian
Organisations, said it was “short-sighted and baffling” to see retired
Australian Defence Force (ADF) cargo trucks, troop carriers and inflatable
boats for sale online when they could be put to use on the battlefield.
“Our community is in touch with frontline troops every day, who tell us these
ex-ADF platforms are exactly what they need,” Argyrou said.
“Ukrainian soldiers are outnumbered, exhausted and working with whatever they
are given, so it’s upsetting this equipment hasn’t been considered for Ukraine
... The government says its policy goal is to empower Ukraine to win on its own
terms, but Defence has simply carried on with business as usual by auctioning
equipment off to the highest bidder.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
