Bushmaster

Thales Australia has signed a contract to supply another 101 Bushmaster vehicles to the Australian Department of Defence.

The contract is a further vote of confidence in the Bushmaster, which has performed well on operations and helped save the lives of numerous Australian troops. The new Bushmasters will be used to replace damaged vehicles, and to support current and future operations.

"This success is the result of extensive R&D, engineering and Australian manufacturing expertise," said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia's CEO.

"The teams based at our facility in Bendigo, Victoria, have wide-ranging skills and experience that enable us to work closely with the Defence Materiel Organisation and the Australian Defence Force to continually enhance the Bushmaster family of vehicles to meet evolving requirements.

"We greatly appreciate this vote of confidence by the Commonwealth not only in our own workforce, but also the specialist skills found in the many Small to Medium Enterprises that make up a significant part of the Bushmaster supply chain.

"Once again, this shows what Australia's defence industry can achieve, and the benefits of being close to the customer while having the local capabilities to meet specific local needs.

"For our Bendigo workforce this will mean continued production through 2012. We will continue to vigorously pursue opportunities for the Bushmaster Single Cab Utility Vehicle and the new Hawkei in order to maintain the viability of Bendigo production. Export opportunities are also being pursued, with the Bushmaster already securing export sales of over $100 million."

The contract takes the total number of Bushmasters ordered by the Department of Defence to 838.