Hawkei delivers jobs and capability advantage
- Thales Australia welcomes the Government鈥檚 announcement that the Australian designed and manufactured Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle鈥揕ight is set to enter full-rate production after meeting Defence鈥檚 uncompromising protection requirements through rigorous blast and ballistic testing.
- Hawkei manufacture supports 210 jobs at Thales鈥檚 Bendigo site, including engineers, vehicle assemblers, fabricators, electricians and painters as well as around 180 jobs along the vehicle鈥檚 extensive Australian supply chain.
- Hawkei builds on the operationally proven life-saving pedigree of the Bushmaster.
The Australian designed and manufactured Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle - Light has received approval from the Federal Government to enter full rate production after meeting Defence鈥檚 uncompromising protection requirements through rigorous blast and ballistic testing.
With over $50 million invested in the production line and development of the vehicle, Hawkei demonstrates the deep engineering and manufacturing expertise that is crucial to Australia鈥檚 sovereign defence industry, and vital to delivering a capability advantage to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Building on the lifesaving, operationally proven pedigree of the Bushmaster, Hawkei provides a protected, mobile and lethal digital node in an increasingly networked battlespace.
Manufacturing Hawkei has continued Thales Australia鈥檚 long-term relationships with its extensive domestic supply chain, building Australia鈥檚 self-reliance and the capability of the broader Australian manufacturing sector.
Analysis of Thales鈥檚 supply chain by AlphaBeta Advisers found that in 2019, Thales spent $97 million with over 200 Australian suppliers for protected vehicles (Bushmaster sustainment and Hawkei manufacture), supporting 271 direct jobs in the supply chain.
With the support of the Australian Government, Thales will pursue export opportunities for the Hawkei, building on the global success of the Bushmaster which is in service with seven countries and is combat proven by three armies on operations.
Thales welcomes the Government鈥檚 commitments in the 2020 Force Structure Plan to strengthen the Australian industrial base through increased involvement of Australian industry across a broad range of capabilities including autonomous systems. The development of these systems and platforms will deliver ongoing capability advantage to the ADF.
鈥淚 want to thank the Australian Defence Force and the Government for backing the Australian designed and manufactured Hawkei. To reach this point we鈥檝e had to come through an incredibly demanding testing process, with the added challenge this year of keeping our facilities operating through the Covid pandemic.
鈥淥ur whole organisation has been focussed on delivering Hawkei and its world leading capability to the ADF. I also want to thank all of our Australian suppliers 鈥 by backing Hawkei the ADF and the Government are backing the ability of Australian industry to design and manufacture advanced capability in Australia.鈥
Chris Jenkins, Chief Executive, Thales Australia
About Thales in Australia
Thales in Australia is a trusted long term partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Employing around 3,900 people, Thales in Australia recorded revenues of more than A$1.39 billion in 2019 and export revenue of over A$1.6 billion in the past 10 years.
Thales Australia has a history of patient long term investment to build advanced in-country capability across manufacturing, critical systems and services. Close collaborative relationships with local customers, Australian SME partners and research institutions combined with technology transfer from our global business enables Thales to tailor high quality sovereign solutions for Australian and export markets.