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Thales coup: Netherlands Army boosts Bushmaster order

The Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) congratulates one of its core partners, Thales Australia, on its recent sale of 14 additional Bushmaster vehicles to the Netherlands Army.

The deal brings Thales’ Dutch orders to a total of 86 vehicles.

Thales said the standard troop carrier variants would be delivered to the customer in October and November, with nine destined for Afghanistan and five to be kept in reserve.

Thales Australia’s Vice President of Land & Joint Systems, Ian Irving, said the new order reflected the confidence the Dutch armed forces have in the vehicle, which has an established reputation of protecting troops against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

“The Bushmaster has been very successful on operations, and we are working closely with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence to fulfil their ongoing requirements.

“This not only includes providing vehicles, but developing new technologies such as the recent counter-IED interrogation arm variant to support troops in the field.”

“Our team in Bendigo, Victoria, are well-placed to continue delivering innovative solutions and services because of their unrivalled expertise and their many years experience in vehicle design, manufacturing and systems integration.”

 An additional EOS-SRWS (stabilised remote weapon station), which Thales is providing in conjunction with Australian-based EOS Ltd., forms part of the order.

Thales Australia is a core participant of the DMTC under the Armour Applications program. The DMTC is a joint venture between partners from defence industry, universities and public research agencies who are conducting collaborative research to enhance future Defence capability.