Military experts have advised the Australian Defence Force to store retired military equipment such as warships, helicopters, and jets for potential use in a future war, rather than disposing of them. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of keeping old equipment for possible use, even if it is no longer state-of-the-art.
Military experts have urged the Australian Defence Force to begin putting retired military equipment such as warships, helicopters and jets into storage for use in a possible war rather than burying, sinking or selling them. The Defence Force commonly scuttles naval vessels and buries military aircraft when they are retired from service or sells the equipment to friendly countries.
Former senior Defence Department official Michael Shoebridge said the war in Ukraine had demonstrated the importance of storing old military equipment for possible use even if it was no longer considered state-of-the-art. “The Taipan issue has exposed a much bigger and more important issue for Australia and its Defence operation: What does it do with older, retired equipment now that a war is more likely than it has been in decades?” he sai
Australian Defence Force Retired Military Equipment War Storage Warships Helicopters Jets Disposal Ukraine Geopolitical Tensions