Aust donates 25 vehicles to defence force

THE PNG Defence Force has received 25 new vehicles from the Australian Defence Force.
The vehicles will be put to assisting the PNGDF in their border patrols as part of their Covid-19 assistance.
PNG Defence Force commander Maj Gen Gilbert Toropo, while thanking the ADF, said the 25 vehicles was a timely assistance by their Australian counterpart and it showed the 40-year friendship between the two nations.
“The assistance is a recognition of the requirements needed by the PNGDF, especially along our borders in the north and south, and between the borders,” he said.
“Mobility is required and our mobility capacity is now boosted to conduct border patrol.
“For 40 years, the ADF have supported the PNGDF in training and technical aspects of the force.
“We last got mobility support in 2018 during the Apec and now is another support that is greatly supported by the PNGDF.
“We continue to benefit from the support of the ADF and we are ready to tackle issues both on land, air and sea.”
Head of Australian Defence staff Col James Kidd said that vehicles took four months to be cleared.