Hundreds of new Bushmasters ordered

The government is investing $750 million to deliver a pipeline of Bushmasters for the Australian Defence Force’s fleet of protected mobility vehicles, supporting around 300 local jobs in regional Victoria for the next seven years. 

FILE PHOTO: A Bushmaster makes a beach landing during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. Photo by Leading Seaman Susan Mossop.

Thales Australia will build 268 new Bushmasters for the ADF at its Bendigo facility, continuing more than 20 years of production of this world-leading Aussie capability.

These additional Bushmasters will significantly boost the ADF’s combat capability and force projection, as part of a modernised protected-mobility fleet.

Bushmasters are critical to the integrated force – including littoral manoeuvre, long-range fires and the amphibious-capable combined-arms land system.

As the protected mobility vehicle of choice for nine countries, the Bushmaster is an Australian defence-industry success story and a priority capability for the Australian Defence Strategic Sales Office.

In response to a request, the Albanese Government has also agreed for recently delivered Bushmasters to be sold to the Netherlands.

This export provides further certainty to the Bendigo workforce, with Thales to replace these vehicles for the ADF in their next production round at no cost and in addition to this new order for the Army.

Manufacture of these Bushmasters adds to the vehicles already being built to replace those gifted to Ukraine, plus 59 vehicles being acquired under LAND 8113. 

An additional $450 million will be spent on upgrades to the Thales Hawkei protected mobility vehicles, and to Rheinmetall medium/heavy trucks as part of the 2026 Integrated Investment Program’s protected mobility vehicle modernisation program. 

Modernisation of Hawkei will be conducted by Thales in Brisbane. 

Through these projects, the government is investing a total of $1.2 billion in uplifting ADF’s fleet of protected mobility vehicles, and further strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence industry. 

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