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Australian Defence Force veterans from the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle, known as “Debbie”, have met with the engineers, designers and technicians who built the Bushmaster fleet of vehicles.
The PMV, formally known as Echo 21 Alpha and now installed at the Anzac Hall in the Australian War Memorial, was originally destroyed in an improvised explosive device explosion in Afghanistan in 2012.
During the recent event, the crew from the Bushmaster “Debbie” met with Thales Australia staff and dignitaries at the Bendigo facility. In addition, Thales Australia renamed the robot “cell” that makes the bushmaster in honour of the vehicle.
“We are immensely proud of the Bushmaster and the people who build it. To stand beside those whose lives were saved by this vehicle, and to witness the bond between our veterans and our workforce is special for all of us here at Thales Australia and is another reminder of the import purpose our work serves,” Thales Australia and New Zealand chief executive officer Jeff Connolly said.
“The Bushmaster is more than a Protected Mobility Vehicle; it’s a symbol of Australian, and regional Australian, resilience and engineering knowledge, now being relied upon by our own Defence force and our global allies.”
The company has announced a planned $3.3 million upgrade to the robot cell that will continue the evolution of the Bushmaster.
Thales Australia has manufactured more than 1,300 Bushmaster PMVs for the Australian Defence Force and other customers over the past 20 years.
“Working at Thales has allowed me to meet a lot of the men and women who build the Protected Mobility Vehicle that protects our soldiers, and I’m delighted the Debbie crew and the Bushmaster builders will get to meet each other,” Thales Australia’s Dan Keighran VC said.
“The courage and resilience displayed by the Debbie crew is testament of the character exhibited by those who choose to serve our nation in uniform.
“As I reflect on my service, the Bushmaster was more than just a piece of equipment to be relied upon. It was a symbol that represented Australia. There are many uncertainties in war, but the ability of the Bushmaster to take a hit and protect our soldiers was never in doubt.”
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