The Australian Defence Force has ordered another 78 freshly made Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles from French supplier Thales’ local Bendigo factory, worth $160 million, after pruning back orders for other armoured vehicles from German firm Rheinmetall’s Queensland facility.
The order comes after Defence gifted around 90 of the highly-popular, user-friendly armoured trucks to Ukraine to prop up the fight against the Russian invasion.
The so-called “Bushies” make the grade because, unlike bespoke military armour, they drive more like trucks than tanks and can sit on the highway at greater speeds; they also sport a trademark v-shaped hull that deflects mines and improvised explosive ordnance blasts away from the underbelly of the rig.
The replenishment order comes after glowing reports of field operations from Ukraine. The selling feature of Bushies is crew survivability; the rig can cop a big punch in the guts and be totalled, but those inside often than walk-away.
“Bushmasters are integral to Australia’s military capabilities — supporting security and stabilisation activities, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both at home and abroad,” Defence said.
“The Bushmaster is world-renowned for innovative design features which protect its crew and passengers from landmines and other explosive devices, and small arms fire.”
They also have far more standardised mechanics the average farmer can work on as opposed to dedicated techs requiring years of training.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy was talking up the order.
“I am delighted to be in Bendigo to announce this $160 million investment in regional Australia, securing more than 200 local defence industry jobs for the city,” Conroy said.
“The iconic Bushmaster vehicle is supporting defence industry jobs in Australia, as well as saving lives in military operations around the world.”
Defence is now pursuing an electric version of the Bushie.
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