Defence orders 268 new Bushmasters

Defence will invest $750 million to acquire 268 new generation Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles – Medium (PMV-M) for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Thales Australia will build the Bushmasters at its Bendigo facility, continuing more than 20 years of production of this world-leading capability.

Production of the next generation Bushmaster will start in 2027. More than 1,300 Bushmasters have been manufactured at Bendigo so far, with the vehicle being exported to eight nations including the UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Japan.

The delivery of the new Bushmasters will significantly boost the ADF’s combat capability and force projection, as part of a modernised protected mobility fleet able to operate in our immediate region, says Defence. Bushmasters are critical to the integrated force – including littoral manoeuvre, long range fires and the amphibious capable combined arms land system, it adds.

This investment will enable Thales Australia to develop the next generation Bushmaster with the Australian Defence Force, strengthening the Australian Army’s capability to deal with battlefield threats, says the company.

Capability enhancements include improved protection and mobility, advanced digital systems, and increased adaptability to meet the evolving needs of defence operations including:

• Increased capacity for carrying personnel and increased tow capacity
• Stronger additional armour
• Ability to carry more powerful weapons systems, including roof-mounted effectors
• Opportunity to integrate a wide range of sensors and effectors to efficiently defeat threats
• A fully modular crew cabin allowing for versatile configurations based on user needs
• Designed for export with left-hand drive capability and next-gen comms interfaces.

In response to a request, the Albanese Government has also agreed for recently delivered Bushmasters to be sold to the Netherlands. Thales will replace these vehicles for the ADF in their next production round at no cost and in addition to this new order for the Army.

The manufacture of these Bushmasters adds to the vehicles already being built to replace those gifted to Ukraine, to support its fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion, and 59 vehicles being acquired under LAND 8113.

Defence says it is also investing $450 million towards upgrades of the Thales Hawkei protected mobility vehicles, and the Rheinmetall Medium/Heavy Truck Capability as part of the 2026 Integrated Investment Program’s protected mobility vehicle modernisation program. The modernisation of the Hawkei vehicles will be conducted by Thales in Brisbane.

Through these projects, Defence is investing $1.2 billion in uplifting ADF’s fleet of protected mobility vehicles, says the department. This work will further strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence industry, as well as deliver significant benefits for the local workforce in both Bendigo and Brisbane.