Thales assures future of Hawkei engines

To ensure ongoing production of the Thales Australia Hawkei 4x4 light protected mobility vehicle for the Australian Army, the Thales conglomerate has acquired the vehicle's engine maker, which had gone into bankruptcy.

The Austrian company Steyr Motors went into receivership in February after it filed for restructuring in November 2018. 

This came as a blow to the Hawkei programme, which was already suffered its own share of problems and delays.

The 7t Hawkei vehicle employs a Steyr M16 VTI 3.2-litre 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine that produces 272hp. This diesel engine is coupled to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, giving the Australian-manufactured