Military vehicle model involved in fatal rollover had previously flipped
Defence has since confirmed one of the six-wheeled vehicles had tipped over in a previous training exercise, after the ABC revealed it had photographic evidence of the incident.
Australian soldier Brendan Hannam died in a fatal rollover incident during a training exercise in the Northern Territory on October 5. The six-wheel Supacat high-mobility vehicle involved in the accident had previously flipped in a different training incident, though the exact details of that event were not disclosed by Defence.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has instructed the Chief of Defence to investigate potential vehicle safety concerns. The same type of six-wheel model had also been involved in a rollover incident with the British forces, leading to the death of a Scottish reservist in 2019. This prompted the UK Defence Safety Authority to recommend upgrades to roll protection measures and modified training procedures.
Following the Mount Bundey incident, the Chief of Army suspended Supacat operations, stating it would be premature to speculate further about the cause of the accident. Defence confirmed that Corporal Hannam was not the driver of the vehicle. An ABC spokesperson later stated that a photograph allegedly showing a previous incident involved a rolled-over vehicle in 2020 was likely of a driver training exercise where the vehicle layed over but didn't roll, thus not causing any injuries or damage.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
