Thales Australia has unveiled the next generation Bushmaster 5.6 at the Eurosatory Trade Show in France.
It has been officially revealed by Major General Jason Blain, Head of Land Systems, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) and Thales, Vehicles and Tactical Systems, Vice-President, Julien Assoun, at a ceremony on the Team Defence Australia stand.
“The Bushmaster has built a global reputation for protection, mobility and reliability – this next generation vehicle demonstrates how the platform continues to evolve in response to changing threats, emerging technologies and customer needs. Already a trusted defender, the Bushmaster 5.6 has been designed to provide greater flexibility for modern missions, particularly in areas like counter drone operations, sensing, communications and electronic warfare," CEO Thales Australia & New Zealand, Jeff Connolly, said.
The unveiling showcased a Bushmaster Mulga utility variant capable of integrating a range of different sensors, effectors and mission systems to meet contemporary warfighting needs. It is designed for use by global customers, highlighted by the new left-hand drive setup.
“Like Australian soldiers who have relied on it for decades – the Bushmaster is strong, tough, capable and respected. The new Mulga variant and all next-generation vehicles provide a rugged and adaptable Australian capability. It is a next-generation vehicle, ready for export and improved from lessons learned fighting from the combat field. It allows customers to adapt the vehicle for different missions while retaining the protection, mobility and reliability that have made Bushmaster successful globally," Thales in Australia, Land, Vice-President, Andrew Downes, stated.
The new Bushmaster 5.6 variant evolves the combat-proven Bushmaster platform into an adaptable battlefield vehicle with enhanced capability, connectivity and survivability ready for modern and future battlefields.
The next generation Bushmaster upgrades the Australian vehicle produced in Bendigo, Victoria, through major changes, increased payload capability and greater flexibility to integrate modern battlefield technology.
The new utility variant has been designed to carry and power a wider range of mission systems, including counter-drone technologies, sensors, remote weapon stations, communications equipment and electronic warfare capabilities. The Next Generation Bushmaster is also left-hand drive capable and ready to meet global customer demands.
According to Thales, the Bushmaster 5.6 has been developed to fulfil the role of covering multiple mission needs, including detecting threats, sharing information, supporting autonomous systems and integrating new technologies quickly.
Offensive capabilities have been made to the traditionally defensive capability, such as Thales laser guided rockets with the RapidStriker, for instance. With this upgrade, the Bushmaster family will combine its protected mobility and agility with the capability to project enhanced lethality against new threats.
The Bushmaster has incorporated new front-door access, improved vehicle entry, digital displays and advanced vehicle monitoring systems to improve usability, sustainment and support in the field, Thales claims.
The Australian Government has signed a contract for procurement of 290 units of the next generation.