Protection On The Move: Australia's Bushmaster Evolves For Operations

摘要

The original rationale for the Bush-master 4x4 protected mobility vehicle was rooted in the now-superseded 'Defence of Australia' concept but the platform has long since proven its worth in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. As such, its combination of protection, manoeuvrability and reliability is increasingly attracting interest on the export market. While the majority of production continues to focus on the original Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV), the Bushmaster family now includes eight variants and planning is well advanced for more sophisticated versions. There are also two mooted developments, one heavier and one lighter than the current 12.4-tonne (15 tonnes fully loaded) platform.