Bushmaster

Australia chose the Bushmaster 4x4 armored wheeled vehicle developed by ADI (an Australian company that is now an Australian subsidiary of Thales ) to meet its operational needs for the IMV (Infantry Mobility Vehicle) in March 1991 , after an international competition . The short list includes modifications to the Mamba APC , Shorland S600 and ADI Bushmaster. ^[one]

The Australian army needed a machine for transporting troops and equipment over long distances, use in battle was not provided.

The Bushmaster prototype was manufactured in 1996. In 1998, under the Bushranger program, armored vehicles underwent intensive tests. The competitors at this stage were the ASLAV 8x8 and M-113A1 . In March 2000, ADI Bushmaster was recognized as the official winner of the IMV Bushranger contest.

A contract was concluded for the supply of 370 units in the amount of US $ 118 million (Australian $ 180 million), in accordance with the first stage of which 11 Bushmaster vehicles were produced, which underwent a series of extensive tests from mid- 2003 to mid- 2004 .

Mass production began soon at the rate of one car every two days, starting in 2005 .

Access to the car was through a door in the aft body armor plate, in the roof of the cabin 5 hatches. In front of the front hatch there is a slot for a 5.56 or 7.62 mm machine gun, smoke grenade launcher blocks on the sides of the hull.

Bushmaster’s standard configuration protects the crew from 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm small arms bullets, anti-personnel mines that contain up to 9.5 kg of TNT. This level of protection can be updated and customized to meet specific customer requirements.

To lower the overall life cycle cost, Bushmaster uses standard automotive systems wherever possible, and Caterpillar , Fabco , Meritor and ZF are key suppliers.

Standard equipment includes power steering, four-wheel drive, central tire inflation system, flat tires for driving on a flat tire, independent suspension with spring springs, disc brakes, separate seats for up to 10 crew members (including the driver), bulletproof windows, separate air conditioning system and hydraulic winch, which can be used both in front and in the rear of the machine.

Transmission - seven-speed automatic Allison MD-3070 PT.

The Bushmaster all-welded steel casing has an internal volume of more than 8 cubic meters. This makes the platform flexible and suitable for a number of specific purposes, including peacekeeping operations and mine detection.

The armored car is designed taking into account the possibility of transportation by military transport aircraft C-130 .

In addition to the basic armored personnel carriers , five other options were created: a medical vehicle, a fire support vehicle, 81 mm mortars , an engineering and command vehicle.
Bushmaster troop carrier
Bushmaster ambulance
Bushmaster ied
Bushmaster single cab
Bushmaster dual cab

•   Australia
  • Australian Army - 995 units, as of 2016 ^[2]
  • South Australian Forest Service - 15 units in FireKing version, as of 2016 ^[3]
•   Great Britain - 24 units, as of 2016 ^[3]
•   Indonesia - 3 units, as of 2016 ^[4]
•   Netherlands - 85 Bushmaster IMV units as of 2016 ^[5]
•   Jamaica - 3 units, as of 2016 ^[6] . In 2015, 12 cars were ordered ^[7]
•   Japan - 4 units, as of 2016 ^[8]

Two experienced armored vehicles were sent to East Timor as part of the Australian contingent of international peacekeeping forces .

• Bushmaster on Army Guide
• BTR ADI Bushmaster (Australia) (link not available)