Ukraine has launched a bold bid for its army to be used as a “guinea pig” for cutting-edge Australian military technology as it seeks to gain a crucial battlefield advantage over Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces.
Although they are untested on the battlefield, Myroshnychenko said a fleet of Hawkeis would make a valuable contribution to the war effort on top of the 60 Bushmaster vehicles Australia has already committed to Ukraine. The Hawkei protected mobility vehicles have been designed and manufactured at Thales’ Bendigo site in Victoria.Myroshnychenko said he would also request Australia send another 30 Bushmasters to Ukraine on top of the 60 vehicles the government has already committed to provide.
The Australian government is spending $1.3 billion on a fleet of 1100 Hawkeis to replace most of the army’s fleet of blast-protected Land Rovers. The last of the vehicles rolled off the production line at Bendigo last month. The Defence Department identified problems with the Hawkei’s braking system in 2020 and announced it would stop accepting vehicles from Thales while the issues were investigated.
KnottMatthew Ayei_Eloheichem
KnottMatthew Supplying material support is an act of war. Australia has effectively declared war on Russia and we will reap the consequences.
KnottMatthew Isn‘t the hawkei named after a snake? The snake was named after bob hawke though…
KnottMatthew Nothing new, the US, European and others are already doing that.
KnottMatthew A handful of advanced military technologies have been tested in combat there already. Sadly Russia wont give up and want to finish what they started in 2014.
KnottMatthew Why are these machines been made in Australia? I thought we made nothing here anymore?