Eight of nine factions in Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives have approved an offer from the Australian government to donate 15 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI) Peacekeeping Mission Center (PMPP). National daily Kompas reported that the Armed Forces to increase its capacity in the world peacekeeping operational task force. Nevertheless, the Armed Forces was reminded of the need to prioritize the use of domestically produced tactical vehicles. This donation benefits Indonesia technically because the vehicles are in good condition and ready to use, so they will increase effectiveness and efficiency in training and operations.
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Defense M. Herindra said,”The letter concerning the offer from the Australian government was received last year. The donation also includes spare parts with a six-month guarantee and shipping costs from Australia to TNI Headquarters in Jakarta. The refurbished vehicles were claimed to be usable for the next 20 years. The Australian government will also provide training during the period from 22 May to 7 July 2023. Driver training will be provided to 25 TNI soldiers, maintenance for 15 TNI soldiers, and communication for 10 TNI soldiers. The acceptance of this donation has no effect on the free and active foreign policy of Indonesia and [it will] support world peacekeeping operation.”
The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster was primarily designed by the then government-owned Australian Defence Industries (ADI), and is currently produced by Thales Australia following their acquisition of ADI. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army, British Army, Japan Ground Self Defense Force, Indonesian Army, Fiji Infantry Regiment, Jamaica Defence Force, New Zealand Army and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In October 2016 it was announced that Australia and Indonesia would jointly develop a vehicle based on the Bushmaster for use by the Indonesian military. The vehicle, known as the Sanca, is manufactured by PT Pindad in collaboration with Thales.
The Bushmaster is optimised for operations in northern Australia, and is capable of carrying up to 9 soldiers and their equipment. The Bushmaster is a mine protected vehicle and provides a high degree of protection against land mines, using its v-hull monocoque to deflect the blast away from the vehicle and its occupants. The vehicle’s armour provides protection against small arms of up to 7.62 mm ball ammunition, 81mm mortar fragments, Claymore mines, and with additional applique armour, protection for armour-piercing ammunition of up to 7.62mm. The vehicle is fitted with air conditioning. It has a road cruise speed of 100 km/h and an operational range of 800 km. It is the first armoured vehicle to be designed and manufactured in Australia since the Sentinel tank during World War II.