Donation to help complete Long Range Patrol Vehicle display

The Australian Defence Force and TRL Technology have donated specialist equipment to help complete the display of the Long Range Patrol Vehicle at the Australian War Memorial.

Used by the SAS in Iraq and Afghanistan for long-distance patrols and reconnaissance operations, the vehicle was known as “One Fitty” for the $150 daily allowance paid to SAS personnel in southern Afghanistan.

TRL Technology Senior VP, engineering, programmes and operations Richard Flitton said he was pleased to present the equipment to the Memorial to help tell the story of Australian soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We feel it’s important that the story of how the men and women are serving and how they are being protected is told,” he said.

“These are specialist bits of electronics that basically inhibit the signals that would initiate an improvised explosive device. As a vehicle or a soldier walks past a device, the insurgents or the enemy will typically use mobile phones or radios or other communication means to trigger that device. Our equipment tries to inhibit that signal and stop the device being detonated … therefore saving the lives of the people who are there.

“Our mission is to make the world safer… and this piece of equipment really epitomises that our mission is to help the men and women of the armed forces … to make sure they can do their mission, and more importantly, come home at the end of it… We’re really proud and privileged to be able to provide that security. “

The Memorial’s assistant director, national collection, Brian Dawson welcomed the donation.

“It really tells an untold story so far, and it will probably be some time before we will be able to get the full story out, but for those of us who have served in these places, these are very important pieces of equipment which do help these young men come back.”