Australia has pledged an investment of 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($855 million) to strengthen the Australian Defence Forces’ (ADF) ground vehicle fleet. The package includes the acquisition of 268 next-generation Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) from Thales, valued at 750 million Australian dollars ($538 million).
An additional 450 million Australian dollars ($323 million) has been allocated for upgrades to the Hawkei PMVs produced by Thales Australia and to medium and heavy military trucks supplied by Rheinmetall currently in ADF service.
The Bushmaster vehicles will be manufactured at Thales Australia’s Bendigo facility in Victoria, which has already delivered more than 1,300 units, while Hawkei upgrades will take place at the company’s Brisbane site. Production of the new Bushmasters is scheduled to begin in 2027, featuring improved protection, enhanced mobility, and the ability to integrate advanced weapons, sensors, and digital systems.
This order is also intended to replenish ADF stocks after more than 100 Bushmasters were donated to Ukraine, along with additional units exported to the Netherlands.
On the broader defense front, Canberra announced plans in April to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2033, up from a previous projection of 2.3%. The country is also advancing major initiatives such as nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, and investing up to 15 billion Australian dollars in autonomous systems. At the same time, Australia continues to deepen defense cooperation with regional partners, including Japan and Indonesia.
