The Land Forces arms expo features weaponry that can kill en masse, alongside armour to protect military dogs. And more lanyards than you can poke a howitzer at.
Even as anti-war protesters battled with police outside the Melbourne Convention Centre on Wednesday, a sense of cool, corporate calm prevailed on the other side of VicPol’s ring of steel.
Government aids in suits mingled with soldiers in uniform while university professors, industry journalists, and even the odd diplomat picked over sandwich buffets. It was one of many armoured vehicles quietly brought in under cover of darkness in the lead-up to Wednesday – “matériel”, as it’s known in the trade.The three-day event, staged with support of the Australian Defence Force and the state government, and a decent dollop of corporate sponsorship topped-up by ticket sales, is closed to the public.
If you build up enough speed in a 60-tonne tank, you can jump a trench or a stream, explained Bernie Maus, who commands Abrams tanks for the ADF. “It’s just not much fun if you’re inside it!”
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