Canberra has ordered an additional 15 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles worth $30 million from Thales Australia, specifically fitted for the command and control capabilities of the Australian Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
According to the government, it has already invested over $135 million in 93 Bushmasters manufactured at Thales’ facility in Bendigo, contributing to the city’s job growth.
Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the new PMV investment again demonstrates the government’s commitment to uplifting the local defense industry. “Protected vehicles such as the Bushmaster are part of the sovereign defense industrial priorities in the Albanese government’s Defence Industry Development Strategy,” he added.
The latest procurement is part of Canberra’s $1.08 billion program to deliver the Australian Defence Force’s first land-based long-range fire capability to deter future threats.
Thales Australia secured the contract to build new Bushmasters for the ADF in May 2023 under an 18-month manufacturing timetable. More than 1,200 units of the PMV have been manufactured in Bendigo, and some Bushmasters that Canberra earlier donated to Kyiv are currently in service in Ukraine’s war against Russia.