Two companies to square off for Australia's $10 billion infantry fighting vehicle program - DefenseNews.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – The Australian government has selected Hanwha and Rheinmetall to participate in the next phase of its A$15 billion (U.S. $10.3 billion) infantry fighting vehicle program, being delivered under Project Land 400 Phase 3.

Hanwha’s AS21 Redback IFV, a variant of the South Korean Army’s K21 vehicle, and Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 will now progress to a 12-month risk mitigation activity program later this year, which will test the vehicles under operational conditions.

Land 400 Phase 3 (Mounted Close Combat Capability) will acquire up to 450 tracked IFVs to replace the Australian Army’s ageing M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers. A decision on which tenderer will progress to the acquisition phase of the program will be presented to government for consideration in 2022.

“The two companies have been assessed as offering vehicles that are best able to meet the requirements of the Army while offering value for money for defense,” Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said at the Sept. 16 announcement.

The announcement reduces the field from four to two, with BAE Systems (CV90) and General Dynamics Land Systems (Ajax) now eliminated from the competition.

Phase 3 of the overarching Land 400 program follows on from the A$5.2 billion (U.S. $3.6 billion) Phase 2, under which Rheinmetall is delivering 211 Boxer wheeled 8x8 combat reconnaissance vehicles to replace the Australian Army’s light armored vehicles.

Rheinmetall is assembling all but the first 25 Boxers at its recently established Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence at Ipswich, west of Brisbane. Local industry participation will be a key requirement for Land 400 Phase 3.

“Australian industry involvement and Australian workers are vital to this project,” Price said. “Phase 3 is another important opportunity for Australian industry to deliver leading edge technology for the ADF.”

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Rheinmetall has indicated it will assemble the Lynx in its Ipswich facility and Hanwha announced on May 23 that it had teamed with EOS Group and Elbit Systems to develop the AS21 and build it in Geelong, south of Melbourne.

Hanwha and Rheinmetall are also the prime contenders for the Australian Army’s recently revitalized Land 8116 program, which will acquire 30 self-propelled howitzers, together with support vehicles and systems.

Hanwha is proposing a local version of its K9 Thunder 155mm SPH, dubbed Aussie Thunder, which the company said in May would be assembled in Geelong irrespective of the Land 400 Phase 3 outcome. Rheinmetall is expected to offer a solution based on its PzH 2000 vehicle.

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https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2019/09/17/two-companies-to-square-off-for-australias-10-billion-fighting-vehicle-program/

2019-09-17 03:01:25Z
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Bushfires continue to burn across east Australia - Aljazeera.com

Firefighters continued to battle about 50 bushfires across Queensland on Sunday.

Crews from the states of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and from New Zealand were helping fight blazes that have destroyed homes, businesses and an estimated 55,000 hectares (135, 908 acres) of land.

The 10-day emergency has seen some 1,200 bushfires burning across the state, with more than 600 community warnings issued in the past two weeks. Officials have warned some fires could burn for months because the ground is bone-dry and there is no significant rain in sight.

Meanwhile, fire conditions eased over the weekend in northern New South Wales, as the winds dropped, prompting the Rural Fire Service (RFS) to downgrade its warning to an advice level.

The RFS said firefighters took advantage of cooler conditions to undertake backburning around the state. With warmer and windier conditions expected in the coming week, it is imperative the firefighting crews take advantage of any break in the weather.

Before the warm-up that is expected this week, rain will move across much of New South Wales on Monday into Tuesday and bring moister, cooler air across the region.

However, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned the fire danger remains high throughout Queensland.

"It's going to be very warm through southern Queensland on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," said meteorologist Sam Campbell, late on Saturday. "Unfortunately, the hot, dry weather is set to continue."

Firefighters are most concerned about the Sarabah fire in the Gold Coast hinterland. It is the biggest of the bushfires currently burning and authorities are expecting it to burn for days.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited burned-out properties in the Gold Coast hinterland community of Beachmont on Sunday.

"Some people here have lost their worldly possessions but they haven't lost their lives," she said. "They'll be able to rebuild, and we'll help them rebuild."

She asked Queenslanders to give generously to a bushfire appeal to support those who lost everything.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/bushfires-continue-burn-east-australia-190915092121208.html

2019-09-15 10:14:00Z
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Tourists Disrespected A Sacred Landmark In Australia. Now, It’s Closing To The Public - Refinery29

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has decided to close Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, off to climbers permanently, National Geographic reports. The unanimous vote by the park’s board rights “a historic wrong,” according to the Central Land Council, which represents Aboriginal people in central Australia. 

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https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/09/8413896/australia-bans-climbers-uluru-ayers-rock-aboriginal-sacred-site

2019-09-14 20:15:00Z
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Australia names academic held in Iran for almost a year - CNN

Moore-Gilbert is one of three Australian citizens detained in Iran, according to the government. The other two Australians were previously identified as Jolie Ellen King and Mark Firkin.

News of the arrests came amid tensions between Iran and United States and its allies, including Australia and the UK.

Since the decision by US President Donald Trump in 2018 to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, Washington has attempted to use what it calls "maximum pressure" to change Iran's behavior and limit its nuclear ambitions.

Earlier this year, tensions between the US and Iran soared to levels that prompted fears of a conflict. Oil prices jumped as investors feared that attacks on oil tankers risked a disruption of shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, which passes by Iran and is the most important place on the planet to the global supply of oil.

Last month, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the country's defense force would work alongside the US and the United Kingdom on a maritime security mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs urged Australian citizens and holders of dual nationality with Australia who are traveling to or through Iran to follow the government's latest travel advice, which is to "reconsider your need to travel," due to "the risk that foreigners, including Australians, could be arbitrarily detained or arrested."

Moore-Gilbert's family said they have been in close contact with the Australian government.

"We believe that the best chance of securing Kylie's safe return is through diplomatic channels," the family said in a statement released through the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, asking for privacy.

Moore-Gilbert is a fellow and lecturer in Islamic Studies focusing on politics in the Arab Gulf states, according to her biography on the University of Melbourne's website.

According to the university's website, Moore-Gilbert graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2013, and completed her PhD at University of Melbourne in 2017. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN that Moore-Gilbert is a British-Australian dual citizen and said the Australian government was taking the lead on securing her release.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/14/middleeast/iran-australian-academic-kylie-moore-gilbert-intl/index.html

2019-09-14 10:35:00Z
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Lawmaker’s Links to China Heighten Alarm Over Beijing’s Reach in Australia - The Wall Street Journal

Opposition lawmakers in Australia have pushed for scrutiny of Gladys Liu’s ties to China. Photo: lukas coch/Shutterstock

By

Robb M. Stewart

Robb M. Stewart
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @RobbMStewart
• robb.stewart@wsj.com

Sept. 13, 2019 4:42 am ET

MELBOURNE, Australia—An Australian lawmaker is facing a political backlash over her ties to Beijing-backed organizations, a sign of deepening sensitivities about perceived meddling by China in national affairs.

Hong Kong-born Gladys Liu said in a statement that she once was a member of an organization linked to a Chinese Communist Party agency that seeks to rally support overseas for the party’s policies, having earlier said that she couldn’t recall any such links. Ms. Liu, who represents the electoral district of Chisholm, which includes leafy suburbs in eastern Melbourne, has lived in Australia for three decades.

Her statement followed an interview with broadcaster Sky News in which Ms. Liu declined to label as unlawful China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and didn’t accept the characterization of Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator. Sky News is owned by News Corp, which publishes The Wall Street Journal.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended Ms. Liu, saying she had given a clumsy interview and had subsequently explained herself and the circumstances. He said any suggestion Ms. Liu was in cahoots with the Chinese government was ridiculous and “an insult to every single Chinese-Australian in this country.”

Ms. Liu didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Opposition lawmakers have pushed for scrutiny of Ms. Liu’s ties to China. Labor Senate leader Penny Wong called on the prime minister to assure parliament that Ms. Liu was “fit and proper” to be a lawmaker, while her party has pushed for the government to address the matter in parliament.

Australia has sought to balance a deeper relationship with China, its biggest trade partner, with concerns about Beijing’s foreign-policy ambitions. Acting on advice from intelligence officials that Beijing was meddling in everything from politics to media and college campuses, Canberra last year enacted new campaign finance and counterespionage laws modeled on the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In February, the conservative government rejected a prominent Chinese political donor’s application for citizenship and canceled his residence visa while he was overseas because of concerns he was too close to Beijing. China in turn accused Australia of being the “most unfriendly” nation toward its rising economic and geopolitical clout.

In her statement, Ms. Liu said she held an honorary role with Guangdong Overseas Exchange Association in 2001 but was no longer part of the organization. She also confirmed associations with two other Australian-Chinese organizations, saying membership of such community groups helped her to support Australia’s trade ties with Hong Kong.

She said nations claiming rights in the South China Sea should resolve disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law.

Ms. Liu became an Australian citizen in 1992, one week before the birth of her first child, and in 2003 she joined the Liberal Party, becoming a spokesperson for the party in Melbourne’s ethnic Chinese community.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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2019-09-13 08:42:00Z
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Australian social media influencers detained in Iran for taking illegal photos with a drone - CNN

In a statement Thursday, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) confirmed that Australians Mark Firkin and Jolie King were being held in Iran.

On Thursday, a source with knowledge of the situation said the pair were arrested in July, accused of taking illegal photos with a drone. The source also confirmed that King is a British-Australian dual citizen.

In Iran, a permit is required to operate a drone that can take photographs.

The couple often feature drone shots on their YouTube channel, where they have 21,600 subscribers. Their most popular YouTube episode features them driving through the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan and has over 150,000 views.

According to their blog The Way Overland, the couple planned to travel from Australia, across Southeast and Central Asia, and on through to their final destination, the United Kingdom. The pair have also been documenting their travels on Instagram, where they have 19,000 subscribers.

The couple haven't posted on their YouTube and Instagram accounts since late June. Their last Instagram posts were from Kyrgyzstan. On their blog, the couple said they planned to travel through Central Asia and Iran before heading on to Turkey.

In a statement released by DFAT Thursday, the couple's families said they hoped to see the pair "safely home as soon as possible." DFAT is providing consular assistance to the couple's families.

DFAT is also providing consular assistance to a third Australian national in Iran. The unnamed source confirmed to CNN that the woman is a British-Australian dual citizen who has been behind bars for almost a year. The Australian government is taking the lead on securing the release of all three detainees, the source said.

In a statement, a DFAT spokesperson urged Australian citizens and holders of dual nationality with Australia who are traveling to or through Iran to follow the government's latest travel advice.

According to the Smartraveller website, which was updated on Monday, Australia's latest travel advice for Iran is to "reconsider your need to travel," due to "the risk that foreigners, including Australians, could be arbitrarily detained or arrested."

Britain's Foreign Office wouldn't confirm the ABC report, but said in a statement that UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had met Iran's ambassador on Wednesday and "raised serious concerns about the number of dual national citizens detained by Iran and their conditions of detention."

Increased tensions

The detentions come amid tensions between Iran and United States and its allies, including Australia and the UK.

Washington has attempted to use what it calls "maximum pressure" to change Iran's behavior and limit its nuclear ambitions since the decision by US President Donald Trump in 2018 to abandon the Iran nuclear deal.

Earlier this year, tensions between the US and Iran soared to levels that prompted fears of a war. Oil prices jumped as investors feared that attacks on oil tankers risked a disruption of shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, which passes by Iran and is the most important place on the planet to the global supply of oil.

Australia and the United Kingdom have also become involved in the tensions. Last month, Australia agreed to work alongside the US and the United Kingdom on a maritime security mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

When asked about the timing of the detentions given Australia's actions in the strait, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told media Thursday that the cases were "very sensitive" and involved issues that would not be addressed well by public commentary.

"We will continue to pursue these matters in the interest of the Australians who are at the center of these cases ... in close consultation through our officials who have been part of this process now for some time."

'Hostage taking'

On Wednesday, the UK's former Middle East minister Alistair Burt described the detentions as a "hostage-taking" during an interview with BBC's Radio 4.

"The policy of effectively taking hostages, and that's how it looks, makes it very difficult for those who want a different relationship with Iran to get on the front foot with those who regard it as unremittingly hostile," Burt added.

During an interview with Sky News Wednesday, UK business minister Andrea Leadsom added that reports of the detentions sound "extremely concerning."

"Iran once again ups the stakes," opposition Labour Party lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said in a post on Twitter. "This is a wake up call for our Prime Minister, Government and Ministers that they must act urgently to bring our innocent citizens home."

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual British-Iranian citizen from Siddiq's constituency in London, has been detained in Iran since 2016 on spying charges.

CNN's Matt Egan and Hilary McGann contributed to this report.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/12/australia/australia-iran-detained-named-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-09-12 09:40:00Z
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Three Australians Are Being Held in Iran, Government Says - The New York Times

Three citizens of Australia are being held in Iran, the Australian government said on Wednesday, confirming the detentions as frictions remain high between Tehran and Western nations over the imperiled 2015 accord limiting its nuclear program.

The Australian government said it was providing consular assistance to the families of those detained, and it reminded travelers that they risk arbitrary detention when visiting Iran. The government provided no other details, citing privacy requirements.

The Times of London, which first reported the detentions, said the three people jailed were a British-Australian blogger and her Australian boyfriend, as well as a British-Australian academic.

The newspaper said that the couple was taken into custody about 10 weeks ago, and that the scholar was detained earlier and had since been sentenced to a decade in prison on unknown charges.

The paper reported that the blogger and the academic were being held at Evin Prison in Tehran, in the same ward that houses female prisoners such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman who was detained in 2016 on charges of spying.

The detentions of the blogger and the scholar are the first in years in which Iran has held Britons who do not also have Iranian citizenship, the newspaper said.

The British government said in a statement Wednesday that its foreign secretary met with the Iranian ambassador and raised “serious questions” about dual nationals detained in Iran. It gave no information about specific cases.

In April, the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, publicly proposed a prisoner exchange with the United States, and raised the cases of Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe and an Iranian woman being held in Australia. Iran has detained several dual and foreign nationals in recent years, including at least four Americans.

“We have an Iranian lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison,” Mr. Zarif said during a discussion at a think tank in New York, adding that the case involved the purchase of transmission equipment for an Iranian broadcasting company.

“That’s her charge,” he added. “She has been lingering in an Australian jail for the past three years.” He said that the United States had requested that the woman be extradited, and that Washington had not responded to the Iranian overtures on a prisoner swap.

Tensions have spiked between Iran and the West after President Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed punishing sanctions last year. In July, Britain and Gibraltar seized an Iranian ship they accused of carrying oil to Syria, and Iran retaliated by detaining a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, Australia agreed to join an American-led mission to police the strait against Iranian threats. The fledgling coalition also includes Britain and Bahrain.

The family of Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe confirmed that she and the British-Australian blogger were being held in the same ward at Evin Prison. The blogger came out of solitary confinement a few weeks ago, the family said.

Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 41, had lived in London for more than a decade before she was detained in Tehran while trying to return to Britain; she had been in Iran visiting family with her young daughter.

At the time, she was a program director at the Thomson Reuters Foundation — a charity independent of the media conglomerate Thomson Reuters. She was accused of plotting to overthrow Iran’s government. Her family and the foundation have vigorously denied the charge.

Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said that the British Foreign Office had not given the family information about the other British nationals being held, but that the families and their representatives in Parliament were pressing for a joint meeting with Dominic Raab, Britain’s foreign secretary.

“The U.K. government needs to be transparent about what is going on and its responsibility to protect its citizens,” Mr. Ratcliffe said in an emailed statement. “And it needs to work better with other affected countries — so that the Iranian government truly understands this practice has to stop. Hostage diplomacy is not O.K.”

Tulip Siddiq, a member of Parliament for Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s constituency, tweeted about the situation on Wednesday, saying Iran’s action “once again ups the stakes.”

“This is a wake-up call for our prime minister, government and ministers that they must act urgently to bring our innocent citizens home,” she wrote.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/world/australia/australians-detained-iran.html

2019-09-11 10:18:00Z
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