The Indonesian military has taken delivery of 15 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles donated by the government of Australia.
Canberra initially offered the vehicles in 2021 to support the Southeast Asian nation’s peacekeeping and anti-terrorism missions.
Before the delivery, the Australian Army trained 25 Indonesian soldiers on how to operate and maintain the Bushmasters.
“The purpose [of the training] was to give these soldiers the skills they need to safely operate and maintain the vehicles and associated communications equipment in austere environments,” an Australian Army official said.
‘Not Smooth-Sailing’
The delivery of Bushmasters to Jakarta did not go as smoothly as planned.
Despite receiving the offer in 2021, the donation was held up due to bureaucratic processes in Indonesia.
The Indonesian government did not ratify the agreement until April this year, more than six months after discussions began.
During the training, the Australian Army had to remove English language proficiency as a requirement to properly train the most skilled Indonesian soldiers.
Because of the change, Canberra had to hire interpreters to tackle more in-depth subjects regarding vehicle sustainment.
About the Bushmaster
Manufactured by Thales Australia, the Bushmaster is an all-terrain vehicle capable of rapidly deploying up to ten battle-ready troops.
It is blast resistant and can support long-duration missions.
Powered by a Caterpillar 3126E engine, the armored vehicle can travel up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour at distances of more than 800 kilometers (497 miles).
“The Bushmaster is particularly well-suited for missions where there is an increased risk of ambush, mines, or improvised explosive devices, which are common to the mission areas where [the Indonesian Army] conduct peacekeeping operations,” Australian Army official Major Matt Breckenridge explained.