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Post by mcmaster on Apr 1, 2022 16:37:49 GMT 12
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-01/scott-morrison-australia-send-bushmasters-ukraine/100957634Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia will fly a number of Australian-made Bushmaster vehicles over to Ukraine, after a public plea from the nation's wartime President. Mr Morrison said this morning that Australia would meet Mr Zelenskyy's request. "We're not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, our ammunitions, humanitarian aid, all of this, our body armour," he said. "We're going to be sending our armoured vehicles, our Bushmasters as well, and we'll be flying them over there on our C-17 [Globemasters]. But he did not say how many vehicles would be sent or when they would be flown to Europe. Mr Morrison's confirmation came after Defence Minister Peter Dutton said his department was still looking into how to get the Bushmasters to Ukraine. The Bushmaster is an Australian-built troop carrier that has been globally lauded for protecting soldiers' safety. The French company Thales manufactures the armoured carriers in regional Victoria. Australian politicians gave Mr Zelenskyy a standing ovation after his address to the parliament. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese each addressed Mr Zelenskyy, with Mr Morrison announcing $25 million in extra support for Ukraine.
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Post by thelensofhistory on Apr 1, 2022 19:50:52 GMT 12
By requesting Bushmasters, Ukraine avoided the U.S. restrictions on arms sales and tapped into national pride in Australia. The situation is worth keeping an eye on for the future. If Ukraine requests additional vehicles, the Australian government will have to decide if they will foot the bill or not
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Post by mcmaster on Apr 1, 2022 21:48:39 GMT 12
By requesting Bushmasters, Ukraine avoided the U.S. restrictions on arms sales and tapped into national pride in Australia. The situation is worth keeping an eye on for the future. If Ukraine requests additional vehicles, the Australian government will have to decide if they will foot the bill or not Very interesting points. You mention tapping into national pride but also tapping into an upcoming Aus election with national security a hot topic. Logistically I don’t see how a meaningful number of Bushmasters can be provided and as you say seems to be a very clever move to maybe prompt NATO to rethink providing armour/aircraft. Would have been interesting to see how a request for some of our Abrams tanks for example played out with our gov being so keen to help but not a big player in the scheme of things. |
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Post by thelensofhistory on Apr 8, 2022 13:32:46 GMT 12
For anybody who might be interested in the work done on the Bushmasters before they went to Ukraine:
/photo/1
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Post by mcmaster on Apr 8, 2022 14:33:38 GMT 12
 Two Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles bound for Ukraine wait to be loaded onto a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The Australian Government has provided further support to the Government of Ukraine by gifting 20 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, including two ambulance variants, to aid the Government of Ukraine’s response to Russia’s unrelenting and illegal aggression. Australia’s response follows a direct request from President Zelenskyy during his address to a joint sitting of the Parliament of Australia on 31 March 2022. The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle was built in Australia to provide protected mobility transport, safely moving soldiers to a battle area prior to dismounting for close combat. The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle is well suited to provide protection to the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and Ukrainian civilians against mines and improvised explosive devices, shrapnel from artillery and small arms fire. The vehicles have been painted olive green to suit the operating environment. Additionally, a Ukrainian flag is painted on either side with the words “United with Ukraine” stencilled in English and Ukrainian to acknowledge our commitment and support to the Government and people of Ukraine. The ambulances will have the traditional red cross emblem. The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles will be fitted with radios, a global positioning system and additional bolt-on armour increasing their protection. |
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Post by shorty on Apr 8, 2022 19:02:59 GMT 12
We should send some of our excess LAVs, the ones that were put up for sale haven't garnered any bids and they would be more use to the Ukrainians than just sitting, gathering dust in a warehouse in the hope of getting a pittance for them.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 8, 2022 22:33:37 GMT 12
We should send some of our excess LAVs, the ones that were put up for sale haven't garnered any bids and they would be more use to the Ukrainians than just sitting, gathering dust in a warehouse in the hope of getting a pittance for them. You may have missed this in an earlier post By requesting Bushmasters, Ukraine avoided the U.S. restrictions on arms sales We are not free to send LAVS without US approval which typically takes years not days or weeks to get approval. |
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Post by Antonio on Apr 9, 2022 13:11:33 GMT 12
We should send some of our excess LAVs, the ones that were put up for sale haven't garnered any bids and they would be more use to the Ukrainians than just sitting, gathering dust in a warehouse in the hope of getting a pittance for them. You may have missed this in an earlier post By requesting Bushmasters, Ukraine avoided the U.S. restrictions on arms sales We are not free to send LAVS without US approval which typically takes years not days or weeks to get approval. I thought the LAV's were Canadian. |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 9, 2022 21:23:33 GMT 12
Assembled in Canada from south of the border ITAR controlled components.
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mroz
Flying Officer
Posts: 59
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Post by mroz on Apr 10, 2022 4:11:45 GMT 12
By requesting Bushmasters, Ukraine avoided the U.S. restrictions on arms sales and tapped into national pride in Australia. The situation is worth keeping an eye on for the future. If Ukraine requests additional vehicles, the Australian government will have to decide if they will foot the bill or not Very interesting points. You mention tapping into national pride but also tapping into an upcoming Aus election with national security a hot topic. Logistically I don’t see how a meaningful number of Bushmasters can be provided and as you say seems to be a very clever move to maybe prompt NATO to rethink providing armour/aircraft. Would have been interesting to see how a request for some of our Abrams tanks for example played out with our gov being so keen to help but not a big player in the scheme of things. Abrams wouldn't make a lot of [easy] sense, their a high-tech piece of kit, that would take some time to get UA tank crews up to speed on. Bushmasters are pretty right to go from the day they hit the ground. There's some talk the UK [and others] might be looking at heavy weapons, including tanks, but things get complex once you go down that road - the other key question now for Ukraine, is fuel supply! |
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Post by saratoga on Apr 10, 2022 8:17:21 GMT 12
LAV wouldn't be much more use than a HiLux,they are only Light Armoured, anything more than a 7.62mm round can get through.
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Post by Antonio on Apr 10, 2022 10:29:00 GMT 12
LAV wouldn't be much more use than a HiLux,they are only Light Armoured, anything more than a 7.62mm round can get through. Did we buy a lemon then? |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 10, 2022 12:09:41 GMT 12
Hilux or LAV .... I know which I'd rater be in. Remember it is a 'light armoured vehicle' but have read on the protection levels in Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAV_IIIBetter than the Bushmaster this thread is about. |
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Post by pepe on Apr 10, 2022 12:28:01 GMT 12
LAV wouldn't be much more use than a HiLux,they are only Light Armoured, anything more than a 7.62mm round can get through. Did we buy a lemon then? The 8 x NZLAV's that eventually went to Afganistan had their armour protection improved before they deployed. A ceramic applique armour (MEXAS) was used and increased their protection up to and including 14.5mm Heavy rounds. This was a big improvement over the Hiluxs and Humvees they had been using. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEXAS |
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 10, 2022 15:04:39 GMT 12
Viewed one of these impressive machines at the Australian War Memorial storage facility, this one had its front wheel blown off by a mine from memory, none of the occupants were scratched.  |
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chasper
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 80
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Post by chasper on Apr 10, 2022 15:09:27 GMT 12
The UK is supplying 120 armoured vehicles along with other equipment. The vehicles will mainly be Mastiffs but there will be some tracked vehicles supplied as well.
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Post by mcmaster on Apr 13, 2022 17:23:43 GMT 12
Bushmaster's arrive at a "European airport" after being unloaded from a C-17A with nicely and aptly placed Antonov in background  |
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