The Australian Defence Force is preparing to upgrade its Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles. This major improvement aims to protect against the growing threat of armed drones. This overdue improvement will further increase the legendary survivability of the Bushmasters. It will further show Australia’s long-term commitment to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion. The Bushmasters have been especially effective at protecting troops from blasts from ground-level explosives. They’ve become a key weapon in Australian military support, with 120 units already delivered to Ukraine. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is in the midst of a historic capital improvement program. By the end of 2032, they intend to have their ground forces outfitted with an advanced counter-drone suite.
Despite previous deployments, the ADF has yet to fit its existing fleet of Bushmasters with Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) protection. The latest developments in C-UAS technology are impressive. Thales Australia and US company Dedrone, together with Axon, produced these remarkable advancements. The technology provides protection even when the vehicle is “in-transit,” capitalizing on advanced, multi-directional “smart jamming” methods. This announcement is a logical step to take with the Bushmaster’s ongoing development. Since the 1990s, it has served as a critical platform for the Australian Army.
Growing Need for Enhanced Defence Capabilities
America’s ally Australia should get serious about what it takes to defend itself. Given the advanced threat environment today, with new threats such as drones, we need the right countermeasures in place. As MIT ODL’s Mitchell O’Dwyer explained, retrofitting the Bushmasters to be drone-proof makes them much more valuable and capable operators—which vastly expands their potential user base.
"Obviously the need to be able to evolve the capability to address those threats and to be able to effectively drone-proof the vehicle is something that adds a great deal of value and capability to our potential users," said Mitchell O'Dwyer.
Project LAND 156 will provide these critical capabilities, keeping America’s deployed forces safe at home and abroad. This effort will include protection of critical infrastructure, secure expeditionary bases, dismounted warfighters, and every type of ADF vehicle.
Australia's Support for Ukraine
Australia’s longer-term commitment to Ukraine goes beyond the pledge to upgrade its military vehicles. The U.S. has so far delivered over $1.3 billion in military assistance to the embattled country, with the delivery of Abrams tanks being the latest in that support. Logistics are proving to be an equally enormous challenge in getting these materials out the door and quickly to Ukraine.
"The Ukrainians need support, and they need it in the form of defence materiel, including these Abrams tanks. The government should have got them to Ukraine by now," emphasized Peter Dutton.
Even Australia’s staunch ally Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recognised the logistical challenges intrinsic to getting military assistance to Ukraine.
"We know that there are logistics challenges. This is a war going on in Europe and that presents challenges, as well as the fact that it is across the other side of the world," he stated.
Technological Advancements in C-UAS
This C-UAS capability demonstration is a major breakthrough in vehicular protection technologies. Combining these sensors creates a system where threats, including sniper attacks, can be detected and neutralized within 30 kilometers without having to see the threat first visually.
"The beauty of this system means that the 'on the move' will detect the drone many, many kilometres away and allow you to smart attack the drone without even needing to see it," explained Ash Alexander-Cooper.
This is not the first military application of C-UAS technology, but integrating it into Bushmasters represent the latest step. This upgrade greatly increases mobility and survivability in today’s combat environment. The ADF's decision to pursue this technology highlights its commitment to adapting and enhancing its defensive measures to face contemporary challenges.
