The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster was primarily designed by the then-government-owned Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and is currently produced by Thales Australia following its acquisition of ADI. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army, British Army, Japan Ground Self Defense Force, Indonesian Army, Fiji Infantry Regiment, Jamaica Defence Force, New Zealand Army and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Transportation of infantry, incorporating full protection from small arms fire, was the primary role for which the Bushmaster was designed; infantry would dismount from the vehicle before going into action. As it was lightly armoured, the term infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) was initially used, rather than armoured personnel carrier, to distinguish the Bushmaster from heavier wheeled and tracked APCs used by the Australian Army, such as the ASLAV and M113. It was later discovered that the high-hardness steel specified for the Bushmaster meant that it generally offered better protection against ballistic weapons and IEDs than the aluminium alloys used in ASLAVs and M113s. To reflect this capability, it was later redesignated a "Protected Mobility Vehicle" (PMV).
Development
The 1991 Defence Force Structure Review identified the Australian Army's need for an Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV).Australian National Audit Office The 1994 White Paper stated that new land force vehicles would be acquired. Project Bushranger (Land 116) was created to procure both protected and unprotected vehicles.
The Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IIMV), a fleet of unarmoured vehicles similar to the Land Rover Perentie were built and purchased from British Aerospace Australia, from November 1993, to prove the concept of infantry mobility and fill the IMV role, until the IMV entered service.
In February 1994, the draft specification for the IMV was released, followed in July by the invitation to register interest, with 17 proposals received including by Australian company Perry Engineering with the Bushmaster, and by Australian Specialised Vehicle Systems with the Taipan, derived from the South African Mamba. In September 1995, the request for tender was issued to five shortlisted proposals.
In early 1996, Perry Engineering produced a prototype Bushmaster, based on an Irish designed Timoney Technologies MP44, including the Rockwell/Timoney independent suspension, and with US company Stewart & Stevenson components from the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV). Over 65% of the components by Stewart & Stevenson were from the FMTV including engine, transmission, steering, instrumentation, electrical and pneumatic systems. The prototype was built in less than seven months.
In September 1996, the Australian government-owned company Australian Defence Industries (ADI) purchased the intellectual property rights from Boral's Perry Engineering with agreement from Timoney Technologies and Stewart & Stevenson.
By January 1997, following the withdrawal of other bids, the Bushmaster and Taipan remained the only contenders for the project. That November, ADI launched its re-engineered Bushmaster proposal changing the design and shape of the hull to withstand a greater force and associated internal and external features. In March 1998, three Bushmaster IMVs and three Taipan IMVs built in South Africa started a 44-week competitive evaluation trial. Neither vehicle fully met all of the requirements of the specification, and performed with varying success over the course of the trials.
In March 1999, ADI was awarded the Bushranger contract to produce the Bushmaster at their Bendigo facility. In November 1999, ADI was privatised becoming 50% owned by French company Thales and 50% owned by Australian company Transfield. In 2006, Thales acquired the remaining 50% of ADI and renamed the company to Thales Australia.
In October 2016 it was announced that Australia and Indonesia would jointly develop a vehicle based on the Bushmaster for use by the Indonesian military. The vehicle, known as the Sanca, is manufactured by Pindad in collaboration with Thales.
Design
The Bushmaster is optimised for operations in northern Australia, and is capable of carrying up to nine soldiers and their equipment, fuel and supplies for three days, depending on the type of variant. The vehicle is fitted with air conditioning and was once planned to have a cool water drinking system, but was omitted upon production due to cost constraints. After operational complaints the drinking water cooling system is being reconsidered for installation. It has a road cruise speed of 100 km/h and an operational range of 800 km.
The Bushmaster is a mine protected vehicle and provides a high degree of protection against land mines, using its v-hull monocoque to deflect the blast away from the vehicle and its occupants. The vehicle's armour provides protection against small arms of up to 7.62 mm ball ammunition, 81 mm mortar fragments, Claymore mines, and with additional applique armour, protection for armour-piercing ammunition of up to 7.62 mm.
The fuel and hydraulic tanks of the vehicle are located outside the crew compartment, while it also has an automatic fire suppression system. The troop carrier variant of the Bushmaster is fitted with one gun ring. The forward gun ring can be fitted with a 5.56 mm or 7.62 mm machine gun. The two rear hatches each have a mounting boss to allow the attachment of a swing mount capable of holding a 7.62 mm machine gun.
The Bushmaster is air transportable by the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, as well as the Mil Mi-26 cargo helicopter. It is the first armoured vehicle to be completely manufactured in Australia since the Sentinel tank during World War II.
History In keeping with the vehicle's role and capabilities, the Australian Army designates Bushmaster-equipped infantry units as being motorised, and not mechanised. Following the vehicle's troubled development, a total of 299 Bushmasters were ordered by the Wheeled Manoeuvre Systems Program Office of the Defence Materiel Organisation for the Australian Defence Force, reduced from the 370 which were originally ordered.
Bushmaster deliveries began in 2005, three years later than was originally scheduled, and were scheduled to be completed in July 2007. Deliveries of the troop-carrier variant (152 vehicles) were completed on 7 June 2006. Deliveries of the command variant were completed by mid-2006 followed by the delivery of the other variants.
In December 2006 Minister for Defence Brendan Nelson announced that the Australian Bushmaster order had been increased and over 400 vehicles would be delivered. This figure was confirmed as 443 vehicles in a subsequent press release. In August 2007 an additional 250 were ordered for a total ADF delivery of 696 vehicles of all configurations. This was increased in October 2008 to 737 vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.
In May 2011 the Australian government announced the purchase of an additional 101 Bushmasters, in order to replace vehicles damaged on operations and to provide additional vehicles for training and operational use. A further order for 214 vehicles was announced in July 2012. This order was placed to retain skilled workers needed to later produce Hawkei vehicles, with the Army having little need for the additional Bushmasters. This took the total number of Bushmasters in service with the Australian military to 1,052.
The Motorised Combat Wing of the Army's Combat Arms Training Centre provides initial training to Army and Air Force Bushmaster drivers. Maintenance training is provided by the Army Logistic Training Centre.
As of 2017, the Bushmaster was planned to remain in service until 2030.
In May 2023, the Australian government placed a A$160 million order for 78 Bushmasters to replace the Bushmasters gifted by Australia to Ukraine, and to keep the Bushmaster production line open. In July 2024, the Australian government placed a A$45 million order for 15 Bushmasters to be delivered in 2026 to be used for the command and control of the new High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that the Army is scheduled to receive from 2025. In January 2025, the Australian government placed a A$100 million order for 44 Bushmasters to be used for the command and control of a new land-based maritime missile system that the Army is to acquire. In April 2026, the Australian government announced that it had placed a A$750 million order for 268 "next generation" Bushmasters.
Variants
Several Bushmaster variants have been produced for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force, these are: Troop Command Assault Pioneer Air Defence Mortar variant Direct Fire Weapons General Maintenance Variant (reworked Pioneer) Ambulance
The Troop variant being used by the Royal Australian Air Force originally differed from the Army variant in that it was fitted with 10 seats for infantry and a third weapon mount. All Troop variants are now fitted with 10 seats.
Thales developed a Single Cab Utility variant of the Bushmaster that was unsuccessfully proposed for the Land 121 Phase 3 Project. Thales has developed a Dual Cab Utility variant and a ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) Kit.
In January 2015, Australian Defence Magazine reported that an Electronic Warfare variant with a mast is currently under development to meet an Australian requirement under the Defence Capability Plan.
In August 2022, the Army unveiled a fully electric prototype the electric Bushmaster Protected Military Vehicle (ePMV) developed with 3ME Technology in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Group. The ePMV will undergo road trials after a larger battery is fitted. The same month a Bushmaster fitted with solar panels by SME Praxis Labs was also unveiled.
Modifications In September 2007, the Army reported that the fleet would be upgraded with a protected weapon system (PWS) that is stabilised with thermal imaging, camera and laser rangefinder. Other upgrades include spall curtains, fire suppression system, cool water drinking system and an additional seat following criticisms from Australian soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan including that the gunner is exposed to enemy fire.
Between 2009 and 2012, the Protected Mobility, Troop, Command and Mortar variants in use in Afghanistan were upgraded. The upgrade included the addition of the protected remotely controlled weapons station, automated fire suppression system and ECM systems. The Special Operations Task Group vehicles were fitted with a weapon ring to mount a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.
There was a survivability enhancement to the lower hull, floor, seat mounts and axle caps. Two adaptive roller kits were provided able to be mounted to the front of the vehicle for protection against mines or IEDs. In late 2012, the entire fleet was rotated, with new upgraded vehicles provided with increased blast protection and the option of adding extra external composited armour.
During 2012-2013, the Army purchased 11 Self Protection Adaptive Roller Kits (SPARK) mine roller Mark 2 (SMR2) for the Bushmaster.
In 2015, 45 Bushmasters had their remote weapons systems (RWS) refurbished and upgraded by the RWS manufacturer Electro Optic Systems. In 2023, the ADF stated that a number of Bushmasters would be equipped with a Battle Management System for mounted command, developed by Systematic.
In 2027, Thales will commence building a "next generation" Bushmaster (also known as Bushmaster 5.6) for the additional 268 Bushmasters ordered by Australia.
Civilian The FireKing, a civilian firefighting variant of the Bushmaster, is operated by the South Australian Forestry Corporation (ForestySA) with 15 in service.