SYDNEY, July 1 By Richard Tomkins (UPI)

The Netherlands' Ministry of Defense has ordered a dozen Bushmaster armored vehicles for delivery next year from Thales Australia.

The Bushmasters will be in the troop carrier variant and fitted with additional composite armor, Remote Weapon Stations, and Thales' SOTAS intercom system.

"The Bushmaster has proven itself on operations with the Dutch military in Afghanistan, and is a vital component of their Light Brigade," said Thales Australia Chief Executive Officer Chris Jenkins. "This export order shows their continuing confidence in the Bushmaster, its ability to protect troops in theater and save lives.

"It's also a tribute to the unique skills and in-depth expertise we have at our Bushmaster production facility in Bendigo, Victoria. Generating exports like this is good for us, good for our many local suppliers, and good for the economy as well."

The Bushmaster is a wheeled armored vehicle with a curb weight of more than 27,000 pounds. It has an operational range of 497 miles and has a speed of about 61 miles per hour.

The Netherlands previously procured 86 Bushmasters.

Déployé en Irak et en Afghanistan, le Bushmaster a été vendu à plus de 1.000 exemplaires, à l'Australie, aux Pays-Bas et à la Jamaïque, explique Thales.

07/04/2014 latribune.fr 

Thales va vendre des blindés Bushmaster au Japon. Ils seront fabriqués par la filiale australienne du groupe français pour un montant inconnu.

Le Bushmaster australien en Afghanistan (crédits Ministère de la Défense australien)

6 décembre, 2013 Guillaume Belan - FOB

Thales Australia vient d’annoncer avoir signé un contrat pour la fourniture de 12 véhicules Bushmaster aux Forces de Défense jamaïcaines.

Les véhicules sont tous des versions “transport de troupes”, équipées du système de communication inter-véhicules SOTAS M2, dont les premières livraisons sont prévues en 2015.

Cet accord comporte également un contrat de soutien de 5 ans. Les Bushmaster vont remplacer les Cadillac Gage Commando V-150 d’origine américaine, dont une dizaine affiche près de 40 ans d’âge.

Thales a déjà franchi le cap des 1000 Bushmaster produits, notamment au profit des forces australienne, hollandaise ou espagnole. La France l’a également considéré un moment pour remplacer une partie de ses VAB. Le succès du Bushmaster est né en Afghanistan, en étant l’un des premiers MRAP particulièrement résistant pour encaisser les effets des mines artisanales.

12 June 2013 Thales

The 1,000th Bushmaster vehicle to be produced at Thales Australia’s Bendigo facility will be delivered to the Australian Defence Force this Friday.

The Bushmaster is an Australian success story, delivering for the ADF, the local defence industry and Australia’s domestic manufacturing capability.

Most importantly, the Bushmaster has saved hundreds of Australian lives.

The milestone will be marked at an event at Thales’s Bendigo facility in Victoria, where the 1,000th Bushmaster will be officially handed over to the Department of Defence.

Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said: "This is a very important day because the Bushmaster has become such a recognised life-saving vehicle thanks to its performance on overseas operations with the ADF and other customers.

To have produced 1,000 vehicles is a testament not only to the Bushmaster’s innovative design and technology, but also to the high quality of its manufacturing. This is due to the skills and expertise of the workforce we have in Bendigo, where 200 people are dedicated to ensuring the continued success and evolution of the Bushmaster platform.

"Australian industry has played a vital role in this achievement. There are around 120 companies in the Bushmaster supply chain, many of them local SMEs whose hard work, innovation and commitment to delivery have helped make the Bushmaster what it is today."

"Working together, Defence, Thales Australia and our industry partners have created a vital strategic capability, fully proven and ready to produce the next generation light protected vehicle, Hawkei, for the ADF and export markets."

During the event Thales Australia will also formally launch its partnership with Soldier On and sponsorship of the 2013 Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge. Walking With The Wounded raises funds to train the wounded, injured and sick, assisting them to find a career outside the military. The Challenge involves three teams of wounded servicemen and women from the UK, US and the Commonwealth (Australia and Canada) racing to the Geographic South Pole in November and December. http://soldieron.org.au

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2012, the company generated revenues of €14.2 billion (equivalent of AUD 17.6 billion) with 67,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners.

Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management to security systems and services. Employing around 3,300 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of AUD 1 billion in 2012.