The Thales Hawkei PMV is a 4×4 light four-wheel drive protected mobility vehicle originally designed to meet an Australian Defence Force (ADF) requirement for a light armoured patrol vehicle to replace some of its Land Rover Perentie variants. The Hawkei is a highly mobile, highly protected, 7-tonne vehicle built by Thales on its significant experience with the Australian Bushmaster program to design this next-generation vehicle. It has been developed with Vehicle Electronic Architecture to be mission system ready. The Hawkei is named after Acanthophis hawkei, a species of death adder. In turn, the snake is named after former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke.
The Hawkei PMV is intended to undertake a range of mission profiles, including troop movement, command and control, electronic warfare, liaison, surveillance and reconnaissance. Prime contractors include: Thales Australia, Boeing Australia, Plasan (Israel) and PAC Group. In October 2015, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Defence Marise Payne announced the purchase of 1,100 Hawkeis and 1,000 trailers at a cost of $1.3 billion. In November 2017 it was reported that the Hawkei was being considered by Poland as part of a modernisation of the country’s military. This could result in an initial purchase of 50 vehicles, and as many as 700 over the long term.
Hawkei Thales variants
– Command Post: Dual cab manned by a crew of four to six, weapons system options including up to 12.7mm guns or 40mm grenade systems.
– Border Protection: Dual cab manned with various equipment options including force protection radar, surveillance and communications systems.
– Special Operations Vehicle: Dual cab manned by a crew of four to six with up to three weapon systems. Open top architecture.
– Utility Cargo: Single-extended cab with a flat-bed cargo area measuring; L: 2,000 mm (79 in) x W: 2,400 mm (94 in).
– Surveillance and Reconnaissance
– Electronic Warfare
The Hawkei 4×4 light protected vehicle can be fitted with a remote controlled weapon station. The weapon station can accommodate a various range of weapons as a 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and 12.7mm machine guns, 40mm automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and observation pods. The Hawkei provides unparalleled situational awareness with two large bulletproof windows at the front and two small windows on each side. It offers high level of lethality and survivability for a vehicle in its category. The Hawkei 4×4 light protected vehicle is motorized with a six-cylinder, 3.2 liter direct injection diesel engine rated at 225 kW and producing maximum torque of 680 Nm at 2,000 rpm.