The Dutch Ministry of Defense has made an urgent operational request to quickly obtain new Bushmaster armored vehicles. To respond to this request, Thales Australia will accelerate its production with the support of the Australian army in order to deliver these vehicles more quickly to the Royal Netherlands Army.
An urgent request made by the Dutch authorities
The French group Thales announced on June 5 that it would accelerate the delivery of Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to the Dutch armed forces as part of an “urgent operational request” formulated by the Netherlands. However, the manufacturer did not specify the number of vehicles concerned or the planned delivery schedule.
According to Thales, this acceleration aims to strengthen the operational readiness of the Royal Netherlands Army in a rapidly changing security environment. To achieve this, the company will work in cooperation with the Australian army to accelerate the production and integration of vehicles. The work will be carried out in Australia.
The article published by Opex360 underlines that the file appears to be a priority for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, which is seeking to quickly obtain additional protected mobility capabilities.
Le Bushmaster, un véhicule déjà utilisé par l’armée néerlandaise
The Bushmaster is an armored protected transport vehicle developed by Thales Australia. It is designed to ensure the movement of soldiers in risky environments while providing high protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.
According to Thales, the vehicle is currently in service in nine countries and has been deployed in operations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
The Dutch armed forces are already familiar with this platform. Between 2006 and 2009, the Netherlands acquired 86 Bushmasters for its external operations. An additional order for twelve vehicles was then placed in 2015 in order to strengthen the existing fleet.
The new vehicles that will be delivered under this accelerated procedure will feature the most recent Bushmaster configuration. Thales specifies that they will integrate improved systems and equipment intended to meet the operational needs of the Royal Dutch Army.
Industrial cooperation between Australia and the Netherlands
The operation mobilizes several Australian institutional players. Thales indicates that it works with the Australian army as well as the Defense Strategic Sales Office, the organization responsible for supporting exports of Australian military equipment.
This order comes as the Australian government recently committed an investment of 750 million Australian dollars to produce 268 new generation Bushmasters for its own armed forces.
Thales also emphasizes that this delivery is part of the Security and Defense Partnership between Australia and the European Union, which aims to strengthen cooperation, coordination and interoperability between security partners.
For the French industrialist, this new order illustrates the ability of the Australian industrial chain to respond quickly to requests from foreign partners. Production and integration of the vehicles will be carried out at the Bendigo site in the state of Victoria, where Bushmasters are manufactured for both the Australian forces and international customers.
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