ENGINEERS have been trying to figure out yet another issue with Hawkei brakes in the latest blow to the Bendigo-built vehicle's rollout to the army.
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It is too early to know what the implications of the issue will be for the decades-long process to design and build more than 1000 of the heavily armoured vehicles to replace army Land Rovers, a defence spokesperson said.
"The root cause of the Hawkei brake issue and any potential remediation action is under investigation, therefore it would be premature to comment on any potential impact," they said.
The problem has only been found in one Hawkei so far.
A Defence document tabled with federal government auditors earlier this year shows manufacturer Thales Australia uncovered the defect during a "routine quality assurance inspection" late last year.
The company recommended Defence restrict who was using Hawkeis while the investigation unfolded.
"As the safety of personnel and equipment is paramount, Defence has accepted this recommendation," Defence secretary Greg Moriarty told auditors.
Defence and Thales are currently working together to resolve the problem, Defence's spokesperson said, so that Hawkeis can "continue to deliver a world-class capability".
Such delays can be part of research and development projects like Hawkeis.
Defence says the latest brake problem is not connected to another one that blew Hawkei timelines out of the water several years ago.
In that case, a safety incident during testing at the Puckapunyal military base revealed a problem with Hawkeis' anti-lock braking system.
No-one was injured but the incident sparked months of investigations and then time-consuming changes to each vehicle already built.
The latest brake saga might have been met with disappointment by more than just Defence and Thales.
Ukraine offered a battlefield road-test of Hawkeis last year, months before the latest issues with the brakes emerged.
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The idea would have been for it to get much needed vehicles for its war against Russian invaders and Australia to get real-world insights into how Hawkeis handled.
Canberra has not promised any Hawkeis to Kyiv to date.
It has instead focused on delivering other equipment including 90 Bushmaster trucks built in Bendigo by Thales.
Most of those heavily-armoured vehicles are now in Ukraine following delivery challenges through much of 2022, the Advertiser understands.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
