Japan orders four Bushmaster troop carrier vehicles
Thales Australia has secured a new customer for its Bushmaster vehicles, with the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) placing an order the vehicle on behalf of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force. The order, announced on 7 April, is for four vehicles.
The order is for the troop carrier variant of the Bushmaster. They will be assembled at the company’s facility in Bendigo, Victoria, and delivered in late 2014.
Chris Jenkins, CEO, Thales Australia, said: ‘This new export order demonstrates the ongoing significance and versatility of the Bushmaster vehicle. With effective operational deployment across Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bushmaster has proven its effectiveness across urban landscapes as well as mountainous regions, making it uniquely suited to Japan’s geographic and urban environments.
‘This is the first time that Thales is providing platforms to Japan. Our aim is to be customer focused and to offer Thales Group’s seamless and convenient services and technologies to our customers in Japan. We look forward to working closely with the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force as these vehicles enter service.’
More than 1,000 Thales Bushmaster vehicles have been sold to the armed forces of Australia, the Netherlands and Jamaica.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
US Army moves towards calls for bids for medium UGV as competitors warm up
The US Army’s Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer (M-METT) programme is planned to provide a platform between Increment II of Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport and the Palletized Load System.
-
Why bridging the gap between military and COTS systems is key to seamless defence comms (Studio)
Technology that enables armed forces to leverage existing network infrastructure can be a game-changer in many combat scenarios.
-
UK MoD clears British Army’s Ajax saying “no safety concerns when operated properly”
The British Army’s Ajax armoured personnel carrier has a chequered history but hopes were high when Initial Operating Capability was declared last year. More problems saw operations suspended but the MoD reports it has identified the problems and short- and medium-term solutions.