Twisted knickers at Thales

Bushmaster makers miffed at Australian partnership in JLTV program

THE Australian Government has snubbed a Bendigo-built defence vehicle and funded the development of nine US prototypes similar to a lighter variant of the Bushmaster.

The Federal Government will contribute $40 million to the United States’ Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program, in a move that has angered the Bendigo business community.

“This defies any logic as far as I’m concerned,” Bendigo Business Council chairman Doug Buerger said.

(The Advertiser)

Reads like sour grapes to me, even if the gripe is understandable.

Sure, Australia stands to lose out on the economics, though I seem to recall that the deal calls for at least some of the vehicle production to take place in Oz. The Thales company in particular loses out unless it catches some of that work in manufacturing the JLTV.

On the other hand, it is a dubious proposition that the Bushmaster (or a modernized variant) would possess capabilities comparable to those coming out of the JLTV program even if some aspects of the competition seem dubious.

Bushmaster rejected for MRAP I

clipped from www.defenseindustrydaily.com It has been one of the most puzzling features of the MRAP competition to date. Thales Australia's Bushmaster vehicle was one of the first mine-resistant vehicles on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it has served successfully with Australian and Dutch forces. Yet it reaped none of the "low risk deployment" orders issued at the competition's inception, and has received none since. Now Thales Australia makes it official: with over 80% of allotted vehicles ordered, the Bushmaster Category II JERRV vehicle is out of the race for MRAP-I competition orders.

The Bushmaster joins Oshkosh's Alpha vehicle on the rejection list. The Alpha was a partnership between Oshkosh and PVI. PVI remains in the running with its Golan vehicle, which received 60 orders through the MRAP I program and remains in the running for MRAP II.

clipped from www.defenseindustrydaily.com