24 October 2024
The Army unleashed two of its vehicles on Mount Panorama ahead of the Bathurst 1000, as the ADF showcased its might on land and in the air and sea.
Tearing up the track ahead of the top 10 shootout, in a flurry of blue and purple smoke from its custom tyres, team Army’s Project Digger was clearly a crowd favourite, followed closely by the modified G-Wagon Project Matilda.
Major Graham Anderson said the street beast, known as Project Digger, could have once been a luxury ride of Chief of Army.
“This was a senior officer’s staff car,” Major Anderson said. “A 1978 Ford LTD. It found its way into a museum where we recovered it and turned it into Project Digger.”
Team Army also modified a "rough and ready" G-Wagon into something belonging more in a museum than on a battlefield.
“Each of the Team Army platforms are all military vehicles in their own right and the young trainees who volunteer their time with Team Army expand their technical and trade knowledge, not only on the heavy diesel vehicles that they’re learning to fix, but also these high-performance street machines,” Major Anderson said.
“Project Digger and Team Army have been a long staple favourite of racegoers. We get around, but Bathurst is probably the highlight of the year. Team Army has its own fan club, I think you could say.”
Other ADF participation included an EC135 helicopter static display, the Army Band, a Red Berets parachute display, an Air Force hot air balloon and an F-35 flypast.
Squadron Leader Sam Wright said he was thrilled to share the images captured from his balloon with the world.
Acting Sub-Lieutenant William Stiles demonstrated the capabilities of 723 Squadron.
“We’re on hand to provide the public with a snapshot of Navy aviation, specifically 723 Squadron and what we provide to wider Defence in terms of aviation training,” he said.
Acting Sub-Lieutenant Stiles said it was terrific to experience high-pressure racing environments up close.
“We’ve been privileged to take part in and watch some of the team activities in the pits," Acting Sub-Lieutenant Stiles said.
"Watching the car crews work towards getting their cars ready to race – it’s quite similar to how we do things in Defence: a tight-knit team, highly trained, and working towards a common goal in a high-performance environment.”
He said he enjoyed connecting with members of the public and giving them a better understanding of life in the Defence Force.
“Quite a few members have been approaching us out of curiosity to find out about what we do and what they might be able to do in Defence,” he said.
