Thales Bushmaster

Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle

Australia | 2004

"Introduced with Australian forces in 2004, over 1,000 of the Bushmaster MRAPs have been built since for the host country and several foreign buyers."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/04/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from the ISAF HQ Public Affairs Office.

The turn of the century provided military industry with new battlefields that strayed away from conventional warfare. As such, manufacturers responded by aligning product offerings with the changing times to which Thales of Australia developed their "Bushmaster" series of Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMVs) to service infantry through an agile, robust platform capable of quick response and limited protection. Introduced in 1998, the series has gone on to be adopted by the forces of Australian, the Netherlands and others and has seen combat action in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere - proving its design sound. At the time of its inception, the Bushmaster marked the first military armored vehicle to be designed, developed and produced entirely in Australian since World War 2 (1939-1945).

At its core the Bushmaster features a fully-suspended, all-wheel drive design with high clearance promoting strong off-road capabilities. The system weighs 33,000 lb and sports an overall length of 7.1 meters, a width of 2.5 meters and a height of 2.7 meters. The standard operating crew is one with room for up to nine passengers who are protected from mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) (to an extent), small arms fire and artillery spray. The V-shaped hull is used to help deflect blasts coming from under the vehicle.

Power for the series is served through the Caterpillar 3126E 7.2L six-cylinder diesel-fueled engine fitting at front. This installation outputs 330 horsepower at 2,200rpm and is mated to a ZF 6HP502 ECOMAT G2 series transmission system. Maximum road speeds reach 100 kmh with ranges out to 800 kilometers.

As main armament, the Bushmaster is typically fitted with a heavy weapon system over the roof (this can also be a remote-controlled weapon station). Two other swing mounts are available for smaller-caliber weapons.

One of its key tactical features of the Bushmaster is its ability to be air-transported by Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" aircraft or similar.

As with any military vehicle of this class, the Bushmaster is not one single-role vehicle but a series of vehicles based on a standardized design. This is done as a cost-effective measure in having single model serve as the basis for others to cover multiple battlefield roles. As such, variants of the Bushmaster line include a dedicated Command Vehicle (CV), Air Defence Vehicle (ADV) and an Armored Ambulance (among others) - this showcases the flexibility of the Bushmaster vehicle which is also in service in civilian-minded forms.

The Australian Army originally placed an order for 370 of the type but this was eventually reduced to 299 units which arrived in 2005. However, more vehicle orders followed to bring the Australian inventory over 1,000. Australian Bushmasters were first featured (in prototype form) in East Timor actions before being deployed in Iraq. Then followed service in Afghanistan.

Netherlands is currently the second largest operator of the Bushmaster series, having acquired over 100 vehicles for service with Dutch Marines and Army personnel. The British Army procured two dozen systems in 2008 while Jamaica has taken on a dozen. Japan and Indonesia have ordered four and three vehicles respectively. There are potential sales reported to Libya and Spain while United Arab Emirates has evaluated the product.

The Bushmaster failed in its bid to join the American Army inventory as an MRAP in 2007 and was pulled from competing in a Canadian program. The French Army adopted a local solution over the Australian product.

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April 2022 - The nation of Australia has announced its intent to donate / deliver up to twenty Bushmaster APCs to Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russian aggression.

April 2022 - Deliveries of Australian Bushmasters began in the middle of the month to Ukraine. As many as twenty were being sent to the nation to bolster its defense against Russia.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Thales Bushmaster Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle.

1 x Caterpillar 3126E 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel-fueled engine developing 330 horsepower at 2,200 rpm driving conventional 4x4 / all-wheeled arrangement.
Installed Power

62 mph
100 kph
Road Speed

497 miles
800 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the Thales Bushmaster Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

23.6 ft
7.2 meters
O/A Length

8.2 ft
2.5 meters
O/A Width

8.5 ft
2.6 meters
O/A Height

27,558 lb
12,500 kg | 13.8 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Thales Bushmaster Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle.

Variable: Typically 1 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) on roof (turret ring). Alternatively a 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG) is mounted instead. Personal weapons taken on by the crew or passengers also provide point defense.

AMMUNITION:
Dependent upon armament fit.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Nightvision - YES.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Protection (CBRN) - YES.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Thales Bushmaster family line.

Bushmaster - Base Series Name.

Bushmaster APC - Standard troop carrier.

Bushmaster COM - Specialized COMmand vehicle.

Buasmaster AP - "Assault Pioneer" form.

Bushmaster AD - Air Defense version.

Bushmaster MOR - MORtar carrier.

Bushmaster DFW - "Direct Fire Weapons" variant.

Bushmaster AMB - Battlefield AMBulance variant.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Thales Bushmaster. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 1,072 Units
Contractor(s): Thales Australia (ADI Limited) - Australia

[ Australia; Indonesia; Jamaica; Japan; Netherlands; Ukraine (announced); United Kingdom ]

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Image from the ISAF HQ Public Affairs Office.

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Image from the Netherlands Ministry of Defense.

❮ ❯

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.

INFANTRY SUPPORT

MINE-RESISTANT
AMBUSH-PROTECTED

UTILITY

SPECIAL PURPOSE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Going Further...
The Thales Bushmaster Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle appears in the following collections:

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