The Australian Army and CASG have deployed a number of Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicles – Light (PMV-L) to Iraq for operational trials with Task Force Taji, that was reported by Australian Defence Business Review.
According to ADBR, both two and four door versions of the Hawkei have been deployed, and their deployment, sustainment and re-deployment will be assessed in the operational environment.
The Hawkei was selected in 2011 to fulfil the LAND 121 Phase 4 requirement for the light protected mobility vehicle. After a protracted development and contract negotiation period, a contract for up to 1100 Hawkei vehicles and 1058 companion trailers was signed with Thales in October 2015, and engineering and manufacturing development has been underway since then.
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Low rate production of about 100 vehicles commenced in 2017, and full rate production is expected to run from 2018 to 2022.
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The Task Force Taji operational trial is expected to run to mid-2018.