Advanced Armor Solutions for the Australian Hawkei

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Thales Australia Hawkei was selected by the Australian military for the Land 121 Phase 4 – Protected Mobile Vehicle – Light (PMV-L). Photo: Australian MOD

The integrator of the M-ATV protection system is Israel’s armor solution provider Plasan, acting as an Oshkosh subcontractor. Plasan is also involved in other light armored vehicle programs, including the Australian Protected Mobile Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) program, where it is responsible for delivering the fully-protected-body kit for the 1,100 Hawkei vehicles to be provided to the Australian Defense Force (ADF) by Thales Australia, as per a contract spread over the next 5 years.

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Plasan is supplying armored hull kits for Thales Australia, protecting 1,100 Hawkei vehicles. Photo: Tamir Eshel, Defense-Update

The Hawkei armor solution includes advanced armor protected hull kits that are built to optimize survivability against a full range of blast and ballistic threats; blast-protected seats, restraints and stowage to minimize crew impact during adverse events, an integrated system designed to absorb and deflect blast energy, and transparent and opaque armor for high-level protection against kinetic threats, including fast-stow and removable add-on kits.