Project Waler: Australian Defence Procurement

• Project Waler was an unsuccessful Australian defence procurement exercise that sought to replace the Australian Army's M113 armoured personnel carriers with more capable armoured fighting vehicles.
• After initial scoping work, proposals were sought from companies during 1981. These proposals were submitted in 1982, and further studies were undertaken in 1983.
• While the scoping studies demonstrated that it would be feasible to build the vehicles in Australia, a planned tender to acquire them was not issued.
• Instead, Project Waler was cancelled by the Australian Government in July 1985 due to concerns over the cost and capabilities of the proposed vehicles.
• The M113s used by the Army's armoured reconnaissance units were replaced by ASLAV wheeled armoured fighting vehicles that were similar to the designs considered under Project Waler.
• Most of the remaining fleet of M113s were upgraded.

Test your knowledge about Project Waler, an unsuccessful Australian defence procurement exercise aimed at replacing the Australian Army's M113 armoured personnel carriers with more capable armoured fighting vehicles.