Thales Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle

GTX

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I don't believe a thread already exists on this. To date, approx 1200 have been produced or are on order. Latest variant just announced (more info to follow) is the "Strikemaster" which is marriage of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Naval Strike Missile and the Thales Bushmaster flat-bed ute.

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MR6 variant currently being offered to UK:

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Copperhead variant:

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There were also two Bushmaster submissions to Canada's DND. The first was for the Armoured Patrol Vehicles (APV) program - to answer an Immediate Operational Requirement for use in Afghanistan. The Canadian Forces regarded ADI's Bushmaster as well-protected but too big for patrol duties. Thales Canada (Nepean, ON) yanked the Bushmaster from the APV contest at the last moment.

Thales Canada (along with partner DEW Engineering of Ottawa) then submitted the Bushmaster for DND's Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) Program. The Bushmaster got to Stage 2 of this contest but, ultimately, TAPV was won by Textron with an M1117 variant.

One of the muddier issues around the Bushmaster TAPV submission led to a lot of 'built in Canada' or 'assembled in Canada?' questions. Somehow 'built here' had ceased to be an issue by the time Textron started cranking out TAPVs at their Front Street facility in New Orleans, LA :rolleyes:
 
Some more on above:



 
Dear GTX,
Great photo of the V-shaped under-hull.
Does anyone have underside photos of other MRAPs?
 
 
This looks like a game changer. Love the ability to attack both ground and naval targets.
 
First ones off to Ukraine showing new paint scheme:

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20 in total are being gifted at this stage.
 
Ukrainians worry that Russians will leave behind too many land mines ... requiring years of risky work to clear.
Bushmasters will provide limited protection to Ukrainians travelling through un-cleared mine fields.
 
Ukrainians worry that Russians will leave behind too many land mines ... requiring years of risky work to clear.
Bushmasters will provide limited protection to Ukrainians travelling through un-cleared mine fields.

Which brings up another Bushmaster variant ... or, rather, an add-on - the Bushmaster EOD the Dutch deployed in Afghanistan. The Bushmaster EOD had a front-mounted 8.5 metre mine-clearing arm with manipulator claw and could carry an EOD robot internally.
 

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Well that's not a Kangaroo that should adorn this 1mm thick front grid... But a bulleye.
 
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Does anyone have pictures of a Bushmaster AFTER it has detonated a roadside bomb?
How many wheels got blown off?
Did it remain upright?
What was the extent of crew injuries?
 

 

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