Outcry over Chinese-made camouflage

[Exsandgroper]

Outcry over Chinese-made camouflage
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 » 07:02am



The Defence Department has been criticised for rumours over Chinese-made camouflage for Australian diggers.

A new round of cost-cutting by the Defence Department could be putting Australian jobs at risk and is raising national security concerns after reports diggers could soon be clad in Chinese-made camouflage.

News Limited papers report the high-tech material is currently made in a Victorian factory employing up to 400 people but the contract has now been outsourced to China.

The opposition's blasted the decision telling the papers it's a dangerous and unpatriotic way to save a few dollars on a chemically-treated fabric that has special top-secret qualities.

The uniforms will continue to be assembled in Australia.

The next round of cost cutting will be to outsource all Defence to China. Bloody idiots:mad:

[Exsandgroper]

From G Combet



Combat uniforms made in Australia


Contrary to some media reports this morning, combat uniforms worn by Australian Soldiers are manufactured in Australia.


No Australian troops are currently deployed, or in training, wearing combat uniforms made from Chinese fabric.


A tender was won late last year by a local clothing manufacturer from Bendigo, Australian Defence Apparel (ADA) to provide camouflage uniforms under an interim arrangement.


This is great news for the Bendigo economy and provides great support for local manufacturing and jobs.


ADA will be sourcing the fabric used to make these uniforms from Bruck Textiles in Wangaratta for the contracted period.


There was never a requirement to use Chinese fabric on combat clothing.


Under the contract ADA put forward an option to supply additional uniforms if required. For these uniforms ADA said they would source the fabric from a Chinese company.


This option has not been exercised by the Department of Defence and it will not be exercised.


The combat clothing that Australian troops will be supplied with is required to meet exacting specifications. All fabric used in uniforms is rigorously tested before use.


The Government is committed to giving Australian products a fair go, as long as local industry is competitive on schedule, cost and capability.


Last year, the Government spent over $6 billion in Australia on the acquisition and sustainment of defence materiel.



Still sounds like it was seriously considered

Cheers

[McDethWivFries]

From G Combet
....
There was never a requirement to use Chinese fabric on combat clothing.


Under the contract ADA put forward an option to supply additional uniforms if required. For these uniforms ADA said they would source the fabric from a Chinese company.


This option has not been exercised by the Department of Defence and it will not be exercised.


thats a bit confusing that part imo, if there is no intention to get anything from China, why even bother saying "hey we have this option to get stuff from China too"?

[Gubler, A.]

It’s the tenderer that said we can go to China for cheaper material and work. No doubt the original DMO tender would have had options for Australian made and overseas supplied combat clothing. ADA in their response would have appeared to have offered Chinese materials and tailoring in addition to Australian made. Maybe some other tendered offered Indonesia or Vietnam or another source of cheap TCF. This doesn’t mean the DMO was planning to buy overseas clothing but would have wanted the information to provide an accurate assessment of how much the premium was for Australian made. The Federal Government leadership like to sit down with lots of options and also to be able to know salty how much extra it costs to buy Australian. Often so they can then turn around and say we are investing X amount of addition $$$ in Australia and so on. Or if the Government runs out of money for whatever reason they know they can do things X amount cheaper if they have to. Its exactly the same process you and I go through when shopping in comparing the cost-benefit of buying some food from overseas or Australia.

[buglerbilly]

They may also be making deductions that irrelevantly refer to the UK new camo where some/all of thebase material will be made in China?

[Exsandgroper]

thats a bit confusing that part imo, if there is no intention to get anything from China, why even bother saying "hey we have this option to get stuff from China too"?

Maybe this idea came from a previous Defence Minister :rolleyes:

Cheers

[McDethWivFries]

It’s the tenderer that said we can go to China for cheaper material and work. No doubt the original DMO tender would have had options for Australian made and overseas supplied combat clothing. ADA in their response would have appeared to have offered Chinese materials and tailoring in addition to Australian made. Maybe some other tendered offered Indonesia or Vietnam or another source of cheap TCF. This doesn’t mean the DMO was planning to buy overseas clothing but would have wanted the information to provide an accurate assessment of how much the premium was for Australian made. The Federal Government leadership like to sit down with lots of options and also to be able to know salty how much extra it costs to buy Australian. Often so they can then turn around and say we are investing X amount of addition $$$ in Australia and so on. Or if the Government runs out of money for whatever reason they know they can do things X amount cheaper if they have to. Its exactly the same process you and I go through when shopping in comparing the cost-benefit of buying some food from overseas or Australia.

Cheers for that (o: