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Use of the Thales-built protected mobility vehicle has been suspended following a safety incident in Victoria, Defence has confirmed.
Defence is working with Thales Australia to investigate an unspecified "safety incident" involving the Hawkei PMV, which took place in late November at the Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria.
Use of the Hawkei fleet has been suspended until the investigation identifies the cause of the incident and resolves the issue.
According to Defence, there were no injuries sustained as a result of the incident.
No details have been provided regarding the expected duration of the investigation.
In October 2015, the Australian government signed an agreement with Thales Australia for the acquisition and support of 1,100 Hawkei vehicles and 1,058 companion trailers, for use in “command, liaison, utility and reconnaissance roles”.
The vehicles are being specifically developed to meet the ADF’s requirements for survivability, mobility, payload, communications, usability and sustainability.
[Related: Thales to support joint UK-French mine countermeasures capability]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
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