Article Posted on : - Feb 26, 2011

Hawkei prototypes of Thales

SYDNEY (BNS): Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has received two prototypes of ground-breaking Hawkei vehicle from Thales Australia.

Under the DoD's LAND 121 Phase 4 programme, the vehicles will be verified and validate by the department.

According to the company, these prototypes will replace a part of the Army’s fleet of Land Rovers with light protected mobility vehicles.

“The delivery marked a significant chapter in a rapid development program that had made full use of the company’s protected mobility expertise,” Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said.

"The speed the Hawkei team has demonstrated to develop these prototypes shows that we have the capability to manufacture and deliver this cost-effective and versatile vehicle in response to urgent requirements, as Australia's only genuinely local manufacturer of protected mobility vehicles,” he added.

The Hawkei is characterised by a large protected interior space for crew, equipment and stores. It has Bushmaster levels of blast and ballistic protection, advanced technology for rapid up-armouring in the field and straightforward reconfiguration between variants.