Thales is pleased to announce the European debut of its Hawkei Protected Light Mobility Vehicle on display as the centerpiece of the Thales stand at the Eurosatory 2010 exhibition in Paris France.
It also offers impressive survivability, with the highest levels of protection of any vehicle in its weight class.
The Hawkei, developed by Thales in Australia, is a highly mobile, 7-tonne light protected vehicle that can carry up to six soldiers and incorporates high levels of blast, ballistic and fragmentation protection in response to the growing operational threat posed by mines, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Providing a tactical advantage, the Hawkei’s unique open architecture enables full integration with a wide range of sensors, weapons, additional armour, C4I and new electronic systems.
The Hawkei’s groundbreaking scalable ballistic protection technology system is designed to be easily removed for air transportation and then refitted by a two-person crew in less than 30 minutes without using specialised equipment.
Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said: “The Hawkei is a very capable vehicle with substantial growth potential that has attracted the attention of potential customers from around the world. The Hawkei’s light weight, flexibility and ability to be integrated with a wide range of systems make it an excellent candidate for many armed forces’ light protected vehicle requirements today and into the future.”
“It also offers impressive survivability, with the highest levels of protection of any vehicle in its weight class.”
“Hawkei is a next generation solution underpinned by battle proven experience from Bushmaster. We are confident the Hawkei will establish the new benchmark in Light Protected Vehicles rendering obsolete the technology used in the competing vehicles. “
The Hawkei follows on from the highly successful Thales Bushmaster vehicle, and is backed by the combined expertise of Thales and world class partners Boeing Defence Australia, PAC Group and Plasan – Thales’s exclusive partner for Australia’s LAND 121 Phase 4 program and the leading provider of combat-proven armour solutions.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2009, the company generated revenues of 12.9 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.
Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management to security systems and services. Employing around 3,500 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of more than AUD1 billion in 2009.
