“Defence has contracted SAAB Bofors Dynamics for the supply of the M3 84mm Carl Gustaf anti-armour support weapon,” Mr Combet said.

“These new weapons provide an increased direct fire support capability and will be employed by the Infantry, Special Forces and RAAF Airfield Defence Guards.

Soldiers will appreciate the weight savings afforded by the M3 Carl Gustaf anti-armour weapon”.

Many years ago, last century, in the mid 60s, I was attending an Anti Tank course at the old Infantry Centre at Ingleburn, NSW and being instructed in the handling, maintenance and firing of the 106mm Recoilless Rifle.

Near the end of the course, the Senior Instructor, Major Name Forgotten called us together and told us we were the chosen few. The Army were looking at the Carl Gustaf anti tank weapon (M1, I presume) and had literally borrowed one from the Swedish Ambassador. Along with the weapon came two rounds; a High Explosive Ant-Tank (HEAT) round and a flare (from memory of 200,000 candlepower) We were to fire these rounds with high ranking officers witnessing the event as a pre-cursor to actually conducting a user trial.

I was elated, I drew one of the straws but elation turned to dismay when I then drew the flare! “I’m an infantryman, not a light technician”, I muttered to my mates, who couldn’t care less. I toyed with the idea of using it aggressively as in a 200,000 candlepower missile aimed directly at a target would light up my life and ruin the enemy’s day. At least he wouldn’t be able too see clearly for a while!

The Sergeant was onto me though and I did what any smart soldier would do in the circumstances and fired the star shell into the heavens.

Better blind obedience than stoppage of leave, particularly when I was in love with one of the Railway Hotel ladies and Friday night was leave night!

From day one we called it the Charlie Gutsache and noted with cynicism, some years later, that even after a successful user-trial we couldn’t use the weapon in South Vietnam because the Swedes were against the war.

Now, I note, that major Western armies are all buying it – yanks included.

I wonder if the flare round ever got to be used aggressively – hope so!

NEW research has raised hopes for the devastated Tasmanian devil, finding 20 per cent of devils have a genetic make-up that should enable them to resist the deadly devil facial tumour disease.

I’m happy for the devil but have you ever been close to them..It’s like watching the last days of a marriage break-up.

Check the video on the right. It’s how they behave during their waking hours.

A Tassie Devil bloke just wouldn’t want to come home with the devil equivalent of lipstick on the collar.

The back door to Australia remains open or, seemingly off its hinges, as illegal boats, line astern, queue up for berthing at Christmas Island.

Only two boats of Life Style Seekers this weekend.

Is anyone paying attention?

Kevin…are you there?

For the Japanese, whaling is like fishing, and a traditional part, not necessarily a terribly important part, of their culture.

So says Greg Sheridan and have to say I agree. Whales are just big fish and while the annual catch is sustainable then let them eat whale meat. The local indigenous chappies are allowed to hunt dugongs using traditional methods of tinnies with outboards and 7.62 rifles; the Inuit in Alaska are allowed to hunt seals, other nations are allowed to hunt whales but the Australian left wing, whale hugging types want to deny the Japs the right to conduct their traditional hunting forays into the oceans.

The Japs are exceedingly pissed off and they should be. Our government is letting the Sea Sheppard pirates do whatever they want but demand the opposite standard from one of our major allies and trading partners.

It’s fine that Rudd should garner a few more greenie votes as well as pay back those who elected him to Chief Clerk of the government but surely common sense should prevail.

Not one whale saved and we are having a diplomatic tiff with Japan.

Good outcome Kev.

BARACK Obama has proposed a $US6 billion ($6.6bn) program to help millions of American home owners make their houses more energy efficient with government rebates of up to $US3000.

Quick learners aren’t they.

Obama’s plan includes;

… immediate rebates of up to $US1500 for upgrading their insulation, ducted heating, water heaters, airconditioners, windows, doors and roofing.

and;

Home owners who invested in a “retrofit” of the whole house to greatly reduce energy use would be eligible for rebates of up to $US3000.

Rudd’s now discredited plan cost $2.45 billion (insulation only) sounds a bit grandiose considering the variations in populations, but thats our Kev.

Still on Obama, Anthony Albanese, in his role as leader of the government in the House of Representatives, has confirmed that parliament will be specially recalled for the US President in three weeks’ time.

`The visit of President Barack Obama will of course generate a great deal of interest from the Australian public and indeed we will be honoured by his presence in Canberra on that day,” Mr Albanese said.

The last American president to address the Australian parliament was George W. Bush in October 2003.

I presume he will be better treated than Bush was seeing as how both parties are now central left and cosy as all get out.

Maybe Rudd can give Obama some tips on house insulation precesses or at least offer the services of Garrett – gets him out of our hair.

I had my house insulated but my power bill is still on the up and up without the satisfaction of my usage following a similar curve. Isn’t it supposed to save me money?

From todays Climate Change report in The Australian comes this little gem.

EARLIER this month, the first Australian order for wind turbines for 2010 was made. It was also the first in three months and just the second since the bottom fell out of the market for renewable energy market in October.

The order was for just two wind turbines, with a capacity of 4 megawatts and a likely cost of $10 million. It was made not by a commercial wind farm developer, but by a 1100-strong community group in Victoria’s Hepburn Springs, who have decided to chip in anything from a few hundred dollars each to make their shire carbon neutral, at least on the energy front.

$10 million divided by 1100 comes to $9,090.90 per man, woman and child living in Hepburn Springs suggesting anyone chipping in a few hundred dollars is a tight arse. Whether they ‘chipped in’ out of their wallets or the council spent their rates on the wind farm is neither here nor there. The point is they are up for the cost and will have a long wait before their capital expenditure is regained.

If we presume the winds at Hepburn Springs blows day and night 365 days of the year then they might get their money back just before they retire or die but it doesn’t. Weather patterns suggest Hepburn Springs is a windy town but the residents will still need base load power from the terrible coal fired power stations.

So $10,000 capital investment and periodic base load costs.

I’m obviously missing something here.

Are the residents all Greenies, mathematically disadvantaged, endowed with more money than sense or just happy to see the wind turbine supply company make a lot of money at their expense.

Maybe a Greenie dropping by this site accidentally (I wouldn’t expect them to deliberately visit) can explain in monosyllabic terms just what it is I’m missing.

All those old soldiers with bad backs caused by carrying 100lb packs should check the video on the right.

Malcolm Fraser’s kids should be looking for a bed in an old folks home that specializes in dementia cases after his most recent ’strange quote’

Mr Fraser said the Jewish state could no longer use the Holocaust as an excuse to justify state-sanctioned murder, and criticism of its policies should not be dismissed as anti-Semitism.

“That happened 65-66 years ago and it cannot be used any longer to prevent proper discussion of Israel’s policies when those policies are counter-productive to world peace,” he said. “To suggest that those who are critical are anti-Semitic — I reject that utterly.”

How on earth did the holocaust get in this mix. The Israelis are currently engaged in a war against Arab terrorists and, if you believe the conjecture, have recently topped a Hamas terrorist. Not a drop of German blood around Malcom old chap.

A new look to celebrate 2,500 posts over 8 years. Not a big deal but you have to admit, I do hang in there.

KEVIN Rudd and Stephen Smith were full of outrage yesterday following credible suggestions Israel had abused three Australian passports by either procuring or forging them and using them during what looks like a state-sponsored assassination of a Palestinian Hamas leader.

They really aren’t that outraged. They need to put on a show for the anti-Israel (aka pro terrorist) bunch – there is some votes in it.

“Looks like a state-sponsored assassination” is about as close as we are going to get to the facts. I doubt whether Israel will ever cough up the details as it’s an intelligence operation and they are at war with the terrorists.

I think Rudd should congratulate Israel and, just as an aside, mention that in the future, Australia would prefer they should use fake passports from some other country.