Grenade use paused
Edition 1175, September 20, 2007
CDF has ordered an immediate pause in the training use of the F1 grenade after a Defence civilian was injured when a grenade detonated at the Defence Proof and Experimental Establishment at Graytown, Victoria on September 12.
?Our first priority is to ensure the safety of all ADF and Defence Department personnel,? CDF ACM Houston said.
?The decision to pause the training use of the F1 grenade will allow us to determine that the right measures are in place to ensure the safety of our people and the reliability of the grenade.?
Defence will work with the grenade?s manufacturer, Thales Australia, to validate and, where necessary, improve all aspects relating to the safety and reliability of the product.
Defence will rapidly procure sufficient stocks of HE grenades from the US to support necessary training for our forces in Australia.
A small number of failures of the F1 grenades to detonate were reported in 2006 from the Middle East.
These incidents were reported from the field and rapid steps were taken to confirm the reliability of grenades in service.
ACM Houston said forces in the MEAO continued to have adequate stocks of fully effective grenades in their inventory.
He and Defence Secretary Nick Warner expressed their sympathy to the injured civilian.
The cause of the grenade accident is being investigated.
Potential causes might include, but not be limited to, a malfunction of the grenade or of the testing procedures.
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1175/topstories/story2.htm
