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India keen to test-drive Australia’s Bushmaster PMVs
THE AUSTRALIANSEPTEMBER 4, 2015
Australian Army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles have an unblemished record of no casualties in a decade of use in the Afghan battle theatre. Picture: Defence Media
Australia will send technical details to India as early as next week on the indigenous Bushmaster armoured protection vehicle — or protected mobility vehicle — after the country’s most senior defence officials expressed interest in using them to police India’s restive borders.
A defence procurement contract for the Australian-made armoured vehicle, which has an unblemished record of no casualties in a decade of use in the Afghan battle theatre, would be a significant export for Australia as it builds its trade and defence relationship with India.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, at the end of a three-day visit to India, said keen interest in the Bushmaster had been raised in discussions with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and in separate meetings with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
“(Mr Doval) said he would like someone to have a look at it next week. What he was interested in was the fact that in 10 years we have not had a casualty, whereas I understand there have been lots of casualties here,” Mr Andrews told The Australianyesterday.
“We will get them details about the vehicle … and if they’re interested in coming to Australia, or (want us) to send the relevant experts to India to look at whether it would be suitable for conditions here, that would be the next step.
“It could be a good export if it is suitable and a good practical step (towards closer defence materiel ties).”
India’s land frontier stretches more than 15,000km, most of it bordering countries — Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar — that pose national security, territorial or migration threats to the emerging Asia powerhouse.
Mr Andrews said India was also keen to increase regional maritime aircraft surveillance co-operation, a tie-up that could eventually see the two nations working jointly as end-to-end policemen of the Indian Ocean, and had agreed to join the Australian air force Pitch Black multilateral exercise next year as an observer with a view to future participation.
India has already procured a fleet of US-built P8 maritime surveillance aircraft and Australia will take delivery of its own fleet within the next few years, but interoperability between the defence forces would take time.
“We already run gateway flights from Butterworth (Malaysian air base) both over the South China Sea and on the other side in the Malacca Straits (the region’s two most important maritime shipping routes) and they are quite keen to see where we can co-operate in terms of surveillance exercises,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have been doing that since 1988 but what the Indians were interested in was, if they are flying surveillance flights from India and covering the Indian Ocean closer to India, whether or not there is a possibility of us sharing more information about what we actually see.”
Next week Australia and India will conduct their first bilateral naval exercise, AusIndex, which will focus on anti-submarine warfare off India’s east coast, and correct a glaring weakness in an otherwise blossoming relationship.
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
THE AUSTRALIANSEPTEMBER 4, 2015
Australian Army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles have an unblemished record of no casualties in a decade of use in the Afghan battle theatre. Picture: Defence Media
Australia will send technical details to India as early as next week on the indigenous Bushmaster armoured protection vehicle — or protected mobility vehicle — after the country’s most senior defence officials expressed interest in using them to police India’s restive borders.
A defence procurement contract for the Australian-made armoured vehicle, which has an unblemished record of no casualties in a decade of use in the Afghan battle theatre, would be a significant export for Australia as it builds its trade and defence relationship with India.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, at the end of a three-day visit to India, said keen interest in the Bushmaster had been raised in discussions with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and in separate meetings with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
“(Mr Doval) said he would like someone to have a look at it next week. What he was interested in was the fact that in 10 years we have not had a casualty, whereas I understand there have been lots of casualties here,” Mr Andrews told The Australianyesterday.
“We will get them details about the vehicle … and if they’re interested in coming to Australia, or (want us) to send the relevant experts to India to look at whether it would be suitable for conditions here, that would be the next step.
“It could be a good export if it is suitable and a good practical step (towards closer defence materiel ties).”
India’s land frontier stretches more than 15,000km, most of it bordering countries — Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar — that pose national security, territorial or migration threats to the emerging Asia powerhouse.
Mr Andrews said India was also keen to increase regional maritime aircraft surveillance co-operation, a tie-up that could eventually see the two nations working jointly as end-to-end policemen of the Indian Ocean, and had agreed to join the Australian air force Pitch Black multilateral exercise next year as an observer with a view to future participation.
India has already procured a fleet of US-built P8 maritime surveillance aircraft and Australia will take delivery of its own fleet within the next few years, but interoperability between the defence forces would take time.
“We already run gateway flights from Butterworth (Malaysian air base) both over the South China Sea and on the other side in the Malacca Straits (the region’s two most important maritime shipping routes) and they are quite keen to see where we can co-operate in terms of surveillance exercises,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have been doing that since 1988 but what the Indians were interested in was, if they are flying surveillance flights from India and covering the Indian Ocean closer to India, whether or not there is a possibility of us sharing more information about what we actually see.”
Next week Australia and India will conduct their first bilateral naval exercise, AusIndex, which will focus on anti-submarine warfare off India’s east coast, and correct a glaring weakness in an otherwise blossoming relationship.
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
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