Albanese announces $1.2b defence spend on Aussie made vehicle
The Albanian government will on Monday unveil a $1.2 billion package for defense vehicles that is expected to create 450 jobs in Bendigo and Brisbane.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will announce on Monday that the government has ordered a fleet of 268 Bushmaster vehicles to be built at a Thales facility in Victoria and delivered over the next seven years.
Additionally, the government is investing $450 million to develop the ADF’s fleet of Hawkei protected mobility vehicles.
The two projects are expected to support 300 jobs in Bendigo and 150 in Brisbane.
Victorian-built troop carriers were exported to Fiji, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, England, Indonesia and the Netherlands.
The Australian government gifted 120 Bushmasters to Ukraine in 2023 following the start of the war with Russia.
The Dutch government also ordered a fleet of Bushmasters.
The Albanian Government has also pledged $450 million to upgrade the ADF’s fleet of Hawkei protected mobility vehicles, which will be carried out at the Thales factory in Brisbane.
“The Australian-made Bushmaster and Hawkei are recognized as world-leading protected mobility vehicles that support not only the Australian Defense Force but also the defense forces of our international partners,” Marles said.
“With this $1.2 billion investment, the Government of Albania sustains local jobs, strengthens our national defense industry and delivers a capability that protects the lives of Australian Defense Force personnel.”
