Thales Australia announced on 15 June, to coincide with the opening of Eurosatory 2026, a new-generation version of the company’s long-running Bushmaster 4×4 protected mobility vehicle.
The updated variant is called the Bushmaster 5.6, or the Mulga. Its key modifications include the ability to carry a range of sensors, effectors and mission systems to meet current combat requirements.
Modern battlefields face unprecedented threats from the likes of drones, so this vehicle was designed to include threat detection, information sharing, support for autonomous systems, and rapid integration of new technologies.
Thales Australia explained: “This new variant makes it an even more adaptable vehicle, with enhanced capabilities, connectivity and survivability, ready for current and future battlefields.”
One such effector it can carry is Thales’s new LGR275 Proxy 70mm laser-guided rockets, for instance. Computer-generated imagery released by Thales showed a ute version of the Bushmaster 5.6 with a remote weapon station fitted on the cab roof.
The Bushmaster Mulga – named after an Australian, indigenous, acacia-like tree – is also available with left-hand drive, which should broaden its appeal to a range of countries. The cab also features access doors, something that Australian Defence Force vehicles do not have.
Major General Jason Blain, who is Head of Land Systems at Australia’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, and Julien Assoun, Vice President of Vehicles and Tactical Systems at Thales, both attended the launch of the vehicle the same day at Eurosatory 2026.
Assoun remarked, “The Bushmaster has built a worldwide reputation for protection, mobility and reliability. This next-generation vehicle effectively responds to threats, emerging technologies and customer needs.”
He added, “Already recognised for its protection capabilities, the Bushmaster 5.6 has been designed to provide greater flexibility, especially in areas such as drone control operations, detection, communications and electronic warfare.”
The Bushmaster is produced by Thales Australia at its Bendigo facility in Victoria. The company said the Bushmaster 5.6 features “easy vehicle entry, digital displays and advanced surveillance systems to improve use, maintenance and support in the field”.
The previous version of the Bushmaster was the 5.5, as procured by New Zealand.
Other international users, apart from Australia, are Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and Ukraine.
by Gordon Arthur
