PERENTIE 110 Information

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The number of vehicles supplied to the Australian Defence Force is a tad vague... One source of the muddle is that the R.A.A.F. use Perenties as well as the Army.

(A)...The original JRA press release circa October 1988 told of the progress of the JRA contract to supply "2500 4WD units and 400 6WD units" valued at roughly $130,000,000 (with local Australian manufacturing content set at 50% for the 4WD and 60% for the 6WD). It also mentions the Army had satisfactorily finished "several months of rigorous testing" the Initial Production Vehicles ("IPVs") "supplied earlier this year to various Army units around Australia" and that JRA had "attended to the many points raised by the Army" and incorporated these improvements. No mention of R.A.A.F. units.

(B)...A small news piece in the May 1994 issue of Overlander magazine tells us "The Australian Army has ordered another 270 Land Rovers to supplement its present fleet of 3700 6WD and 4WD Project Perentie models. The additional Landys, which were ordered under the terms of "follow-on buy" options in the original contract, will be used as basic infantry carriers, mainly in Australia's far north. [Norforce?] The original Perentie Project was named after the desert-dwelling perentie lizard and was aimed at finding vehicles with the perentie's legendary agility in trackless terrain, its endurance, and its adaptibility. Project Perentie director Lt. Col. Lee Osborne said, "It made sense to us to continue with Land Rovers because of their advantageous life-cycle costs. Over the life of the vehicle in Army service -up to 20 years or more- the Land Rovers prove to be very economical." The photos accompanying the piece are of two GS units, ARN 48-014 & ARN 48-016. No mention of R.A.A.F. units.

(C)...A potted history of Land-Rover in Australia, printed in the January-February 1998 issue of Restored Cars magazine, quotes information that the decision to buy Land-Rovers was made in "mid 1986" and that JRA would, at the completion of the contract, supply a "final tally of 2892 4WD and 588 6WD".

(D)...Jim Doyle (ADF, QMVG, REMLR) supplied the most detailed report with yet another fleet total and even a fleet breakdown by variant in February 1999:

4WD 1 Tonne variants

Truck, Utility, Lightweight, MC2 (Mobility Category 2)	1222 vehicles
Truck, Utility, Lightweight, Winch, MC2	314 vehicles
Truck, Utility, Lightweight, FFR, MC2	964 vehicles
Truck, Utility, Lightweight, FFR, Winch, MC2	208 vehicles
Truck, Panel, Lightweight, Survey, FFR, Winch, MC2	35 vehicles
Truck, Carryall, Lightweight, Senior Commander, FFR, Winch, MC2	11 vehicles
Truck, Carryall, Lightweight, Personnel Carrier, MC2	38 vehicles
Truck, Surveillance, Lightweight, Winch, MC2 [RFSV - Norforce type]	231 vehicles
	Total  3023 vehicles
First delivered 2/87. ARN 48-001. Delivery ended 1/92.

6WD 2 Tonne variants

Truck, Cargo, Light, MC2	215 vehicles
Truck, Cargo, Light, Winch, MC2	32 vehicles
Truck, Ambulance, 4 Litter, FFR, Winch, MC2	94 vehicles
Truck, General Maintenance, Light, Winch, MC2 (GMV)	181 vehicles
Truck, Electronic Repair, Light, MC2 (ERV)	40 vehicles
Truck, Comsec Repair Workshop Vehicle, Light, MC2	12 vehicles
Truck, Long Range Patrol, Light, Winch, MC2 [SASR LRPV]	27 vehicles
Truck, Air Defence, Light, FFR, Winch, MC2	72 vehicles
Truck, Crew Cab, Light, Winch, MC2	26 vehicles
	Total  699 vehicles
First delivered and Army - R.A.A.F. totals? The secretary has spotted R.A.A.F. 6x6 workshop / comm trucks. The Air Force also has their Air Defence Guards (ADGees) in Perentie 4x4 units too. If you can help get to the bottom of this matter...

(E)...In March 2004 we heard that LRPV 6x6 units in Western Australia have been getting general muscle transplants... (via the grapevine).

(F)... In May 2004, when the majority of the Land-Rover 110 and Perentie fleet are exceeding 15 years 'in-service', and some people were thinking that some110 variants would be disposed of, the Army newspaper printed an interesting report and photo:

... [caption] A Land Rover 110 being rebuilt at North Bandiana:

"In the quiet rural setting of Bandiana a team of skilled technicians are continuing a tradition that lasted for more than 50 years... Today the work is conducted by Tenix Defence, who are contracted until 2010 to undertake fourth-line repair work.

"The Co-ordinator of Material Maintenance, Arthur J., has worked at the site for 14 years, and says that most vehicles that come to the workshops are in a pretty poor state of repair. "We virtually build them back to class one standard, so when they go out they're not brand new but as good as new," he said.

"Leopard tanks take about six months to be rebuilt, while M113s take around three months. Artillery pieces and Unimogs normally take six weeks, Macks take about seven weeks and Land Rovers take around five weeks. Supervisor of the B vehicle repair line, Danny G., believes the rebuilding process represents good value for the Army."