Japan orders Australian armored vehicles

SYDNEY, April 8 (UPI) -- Bushmaster armored personnel carriers from Thales Australia have been ordered by Japan’s Ministry of Defense for its Ground Self-Defense Force.

The Bushmaster is a wheeled vehicle capable of carrying nine soldiers in addition to its two-man crew and is equipped with forward and rear gun mounts and a V-shaped hull for protection against landmines and improvised explosive devices.

Under the contract from the ministry, Thales Australia will deliver four of the vehicles to Japan by the end of this year. The monetary value of the contract, however, was not disclosed.

“With effective operational deployment across Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bushmaster has proven its effectiveness across urban landscapes as well as mountainous regions, making it uniquely suited to Japan’s geographic and urban environments,” said Thales Australia Chief Executive Officer Chris Jenkins.

“This is the first time that Thales is providing platforms to Japan. Our aim is to be customer-focused and to offer Thales Group’s seamless and convenient services and technologies to our customers in Japan.

“We look forward to working closely with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force as these vehicles enter service.”