Elphinstone bids for $3 billion ADF contract in joint proposal with Elbit Systems

Elphinstone bids for $3 billion ADF contract in joint proposal with Elbit Systems By Damian McIntyre Updated 17 minutes ago A promotional poster for the Sentinel II Photo: The Elphinstone Group has launched a joint proposal to build 225 Sentinel II combat ready armoured reconnaissance vehicles for the ADF. (ABC News: Damian McIntyre) Map: Burnie 7320 Major north-west Tasmanian manufacturer The Elphinstone Group has launched a joint bid for a multi-billion-dollar Defence contract to build armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The group has joined forces with the Australian branch of Israeli-based company Elbit Systems for the tender to build 225 of the Sentinel II vehicles for the Australian Defence Force. The bid is worth $3 billion and could create nearly 200 jobs if successful. Elphinstone Group executive Dale Elphinstone said the project would be complimentary to its current heavy vehicle manufacturing. "We have existing facilities, capability and capacity to undertake the complete manufacture of the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle," he said. "This will include the Elphinstone facilities currently used by Caterpillar and involve everything from plate processing, machining, fabrication, assembly, electrical, systems integration and vehicle testing." Earlier this year it was announced 280 manufacturing jobs would go from Burnie after Caterpillar's decision to move part of its operation overseas. Mr Elphinstone said this project could help the struggling region. "This project will assist with a significant number of much-needed direct and indirect jobs in this community," he said. If successful, Elphinstone will manufacture the vehicles in their existing facilities and will invest in new equipment. The vehicles will be built over five years. A decision is expected in 2017. Topics: manufacturing, defence-and-national-security, defence-industry, defence-and-aerospace-industries, government-and-politics, burnie-7320