On Wednesday January 13, 2016 a new tool was added to the arsenal of the Jamaica Defence Force with the addition of the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle. Following a brief opening and commissioning ceremony at Up Park Camp, the new PMVs were added to the fleet of armoured vehicles in the JDF.
The event was attended by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Honorable Portia Simpson Miller, as well both the Minister of National Security and the Minister of Finance and the Public Service.
Representatives of THALES, the producers of the Bushmaster platform and other invited guests were also in attendance. More to follow.
The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four wheeled, all-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster is based on a design by Irish company Timoney Technology Ltd under a licence agreement with Perry Engineering in Adelaide; that licence was sold, with permission granted by Timoney as required by the licence terms, to Thales Australia.
Once the Bushmaster was selected by the Australian Army after trials in 1998 to meet the Bushranger project requirements, the range of variants was developed further by Thales Australia in Bendigo. Oshkosh Truck has a contract to provide support and would manufacture in the US if there were an American order. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army, British Army and the Jamaica Defence Force.
