The vehicles will complement the 86 Bushmasters previously purchased by the Dutch customer between 2006 and 2009, and will be delivered by the middle of 2016.
Chris Jenkins, CEO Thales in Australia said: “The Bushmaster has proven itself on operations with the Dutch military in Afghanistan, and is a vital component of their Light Brigade. This export order shows the Army’s continuing confidence in the Bushmaster and its ability to protect troops in theatre. The Bushmaster vehicle has repeatedly proven to safeguard personnel against mines and improvised explosive devices”.
The troop carrier variants will be fitted with additional composite armor, Remote Weapon Stations, and Thales’s market-leading SOTAS intercom system.
This contract, whose value remains confidential, follows other Bushmaster exports to Japan and Jamaica over the past 18 months, as well as other SOTAS exports to various countries worldwide.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €13 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.
Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Employing around 3,200 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of AUD 1 billion in 2014.
