Another 268 iconic Australian Bushmasters will be built in Victoria under a $1.2 billion package that includes hundreds of millions of dollars to also modernise the Army’s Hawkei vehicles as well as other military trucks.
The Defence Minister and Defence Industry Minister will detail the $750 million Bushmaster order, first flagged by The West Australian earlier this month, when they visit the Thales factory on Monday, in the marginal federal Labor electorate of Bendigo.
Industry sources claim that Thales was due to run out of work by September, but the new funding will now see it produce new Bushmasters until 2033, supporting around 300 jobs in an area also represented by Victoria’s Labor Premier Jacinta Allen.
The government has also revealed the Dutch government has recently ordered a fleet of the Australian designed and built Bushmasters, with the protected mobility vehicles already shipped to Europe.
“This announcement is great news for Australian industry and great news for regional Victoria,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.
“The Australian-built Bushmaster and Hawkei are recognised as world-leading protected mobility vehicles – supporting not just the Australian Defence Force, but the defence forces of our international partners as well.
“Through this $1.2 billion investment the Albanese Government is sustaining local jobs, strengthening our national defence industry and delivering a capability that protects the lives of Australian Defence Force personnel.”
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the Bendigo-built Bushmasters were an “iconic Australian vehicle” that delivers world-leading protection to the Australian Defence Force.
“We’re building close to 300 new Bushmasters, securing around 300 local jobs and delivering long-term certainty to the industry, workers and region that depends on this critical capability.”
Labor’s Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters has welcomed the massive spending announcement, saying her electorate has a “long relationship with defence and a proud defence manufacturing history”.
The manufacture of the additional Bushmasters will be on top of the vehicles already being built to replace those gifted to Ukraine by Australia, and the 59 vehicles being acquired under an existing project known as LAND 8113.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Australia has donated 120 Bushmasters to Ukraine, but the final batch was pledged as far back as 2023.
Bushmasters are used as protected mobility vehicles by the armies of nine different countries, with the Australian made platforms exported to Ukraine, Fiji, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, Indonesia and the Netherlands.
Another $450 million will also be announced on Monday to upgrade Army’s Hawkei protected mobility vehicles, as well as the military’s Medium/Heavy Truck Capability as part of plans unveiled in this month’s National Defence Strategy.
The modernisation of the Hawkei vehicles and ADF’s Medium/Heavy Truck Capability will cost around $450 million and will be completed by Thales at its Brisbane facility, which is expected to support around 150 local jobs, and more across the supply chain.
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