But I think you are missing my point. The ADF as a whole has a ridiculous - no comical air defence capability!
Does it need one? We face no real enemy at the moment and we are assured if we do, the RAAF and our allies, will be capable of achieving air supremacy, so why waste valuable resources on AD systems? As it is, when we did have AD systems, they were all low-level ones such as the RBS-70 and the Rapier and intended as last-ditch weapons.
Rickshaw the MAG-58 is my primary weapon I use in what I do! It's a great gun, but it is an 'ultra' last line of defence weapon you would want to be using against helicopters/aircraft!!
Yet you held up a weapon system which was intended to be exactly that, as what we should be aspiring to. Such a vehicle equipped with four MAG58s instead of four Besas would be more capable than the one with four Besas. It would be more reliable.
As for the handful of RBS-70 MANPAD or Bushmaster deployed configuration. There are no where near enough to go around! You have to remember, that this handful of RBS-70 have to defend everything from airfields, ground formations and up until a few years ago, they were deployed upon our naval ships to supplement or give a degree of air-defence. Times have changed, and so has the capability within our region!
The capability has changed and has now started to catch up with our clear superiority in aircraft. We have supplemented that with AEW "Wedgetail". Finances for the army and perhaps more importantly manpower has worsened and of course our over-whelming concentration of fighting counter-insurgency warfare has meant that the army had a clear choice and something had to go. As insurgents don't have aircraft, you can guess which one.
Unfortunately, we have taken the US/British approach (or neglect) with our air-defence capability. We put to much emphasis and reliance in our fighter/interceptor capability, whilst completely and utterly neglecting a layered air-defence system. I don't mean that the ADF needs the likes of S300/400 or Patriot batteries, nor Gepard or Tunguska-M1(although I am a big fan of the Pantsir S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) gun/missile system - for its capability and price!!) . But what we do need as a bare minimum is the likes of cheap and simple AAA platforms (25mm-35mm) (plus these make excellent ground-to-ground weapons as well), Short-Medium range SAM's (not to be confused with MANPAD's) - say like RBS 23 BAMSE all-weather air defence missile system or NASAMS system, some GIRAFFE AMB cost-effective 3D surveillance radar system (although I am a fan of the Pantsir S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) - for its capability and price!!). Ideally I would also like to see simple, basic and affordable platforms adopted to support army formations - like that of the Turkish Pedestal-Mounted Air Defence Missile System (PMADS) or like the Dutch Fennek
All well and ideal. Unfortunately in real life these things need to be justified. It is a bit hard to build an AD system against a non-existent threat (Taliban or civil unrest in the Solomons or East Timor or other small island states in our region). Treasure cuts the cloth for the defence forces and the Army has been feeling the pinch, as it has a lower priority than Navy or Air Force. High employment in the civilian economy means that Army also has to compete for manpower with mines which offer twice-treble the wages it can. So, it has and is finding it hard to find recruits to man assets which are deemed "low priority". Once we finally withdraw from Afghanistan and now the Solomons Army will, like after Vietnam be faced with rebuilding itself as a conventional force so we may see a return of AD as a priority. As you note, we are unlikely to ever afford or need a multi-layered AD system, so I'd expect to see a return of MANPADS and low-level systems. I doubt they will be self-propelled though, even with the movement to a more mechanised force.
Gun based systems will always suffer from the problem that the attacking elements will have missiles that outrange them. It was what eventually killed the US DIVADS Sgt.York systems and is why we are seeing increasing reliance on SAM systems even on gun armed AD vehicles. It is easier to increase the range on a SAM than it is a gun.
http://youtu.be/_jpQDpuykRE
, with at least a 25mm chain gun mounted with it (the .50 cal on the U.S. Avenger system is pathetic!)or what about LAV-AD Blazer(using a combination of Stinger MANPAD's and 25mm Gatling gun)
http://youtu.be/XooFmPUt6aA
Now that's what I'm talking about!!
M.A.D
Always be wary of manufacturers claims about their systems.