Branded Hawkei after a species of Australian death adder (named after previous prime minister Bob Hawke), the concept vehicle was impressive, not only in looks but in the design's broad attributes.
Introducing the vehicle, Chris Jenkins, Managing Director of Thales Australia, described it as mobile, versatile, and above all, well protected.
The Hawkei will provide unparalleled situational awareness, lethality and survivability for a vehicle of its size.
"It incorporates high levels of blast and ballistic protection in a light, highly manoeuvrable and readily air transportable vehicle that has been engineered for peak performance.
"Hawkei ticks all the boxes for Defence's Land 121 Phase 4 program to provide a light protected vehicle to replace the Army Land Rover fleet."
The Hawkei has been developed by Thales in Bendigo - home of the Bushmaster.
Drawing on both international and local expertise provided by Plasan, Boeing, PAC Group and numerous Australian SMEs, the vehicle's design incorporates leading innovative technologies.
Jenkins said the Hawkei launch represented an exciting chapter in Australia's local defence capability.
"The Hawkei offers the ADF an Australian solution specifically tailored to unique Australian needs, but one that also meets the operational priorities of other nations such as the UK LPPV program, the Netherlands vehicle replacement program, and also the requirements of the US Marines.
"Hawkei is a next-generation solution underpinned by battle-proven experience from Bushmaster.
"We are confident the Hawkei will establish the new benchmark in Light Protected Vehicles, rendering obsolete the technology used in the competing vehicles."
The vehicle almost didn't get a look in for Ph 4 of Land 121 when the government signed up to initial development phases of the US Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
But the government has changed its mind on the issue.
"At the end of 2008, when $40 million worth of funding was given to the US program, Mr Combet, then the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, remained altogether silent on the issue of similar funding for Australian industry," Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Assisting Shadow Minister for Defence, Bob Baldwin said.
Baldwin cited Combet's speech at the 2008 ADM Congress where he outlined his support for maximising local industry participation by providing more opportunities to compete.
For more on Land 121 Ph 3 and 4, keep an eye out for the October Land Warfare edition of ADM.
Hawkei design features
According to Ian Irving, Thales' VP Land & Joint Systems, the new design meets the ADF's performance and capability requirements, including systems that allow the Hawkei to become a fully integrated node on the network centric battlefield.
A systems approach to vehicle protection includes high levels of mine blast protection integrated into the Hawkei's hull design, while its adaptable ballistic protection technology is designed to be easily removed for air transportation and then refitted by a two-person crew in less than 30 minutes without using specialised equipment.
This innovative design allows the Hawkei to be operated in full protection configuration that can then be reconfigured and upgraded for specific mission threats.
Thales has worked closely with the PAC Group to design a flexible production capability, and with numerous SMEs to maximise value for money across the supply chain.
Other details gleaned
The seven-tonne vehicle is CH-47 and C-130 air transportable.
ADF mobility scale is MC2 high.
Propulsion is claimed to be ‘hybrid ready' and is a Steyr M16 V6, coupled to Allison transmission with independent suspension.
Plasan applique ceramic ‘smart armour' with crumple zone underneath.
The vehicle is C4I ‘ready' with SOCAT or other preference.
Discussions have been held with Kongsberg, EOS et al re RWS mountable on top.