Full production is scheduled to commence later this year with initial deliveries and first operational use scheduled for 2011. In service these G-Class will progressively replace many of the current approx. 3,400 Land Rover fleet, the first of which entered service in 1987. Three other Land 121-related announcements were made in October 2008. It was disclosed that a contract has been signed with Thales Australia (previously ADI) for an additional 293 Bushmaster IMVs. According to an announcement from the Australian DoD, the ADF is acquiring the vehicles in order to meet interim Protected Mobility Medium requirements which were to be delivered under Land 121 Phase 3. These vehicles will essentially provide protected troop transport in situations where the existing troop carrying GS (General Service) vehicle is considered too vulnerable. This order increases the total number of Bushmaster vehicles being acquired by the ADF to 737.
It was also announced in October
2008 that the medium/heavy segment of Land 121 Phase 3 (for which BAE Systems was preferred bidder) would be halted and a new process commenced (the current favoured terminology being ‘be refreshed…’) as a result of technical risks eventuating with the FMTVs during the testing phase, and the DoD identifying the need for higher levels of blast and ballistic protection as a consequence of deployed operations. . Conditions of tender for the first stage of the revised tender process were released in December 2008. The first stage consisted of six months of comparative evaluation testing of a total of 24 vehicles of various types submitted by four bidders. The four bidders are understood to have submitted the following vehicle types; BAE Systems – FMTV and Scania; Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific - Unimog, Zetros and Actros; MAN – TG, HX and SX ranges; Thales – Bushmaster derivative and Oshkosh MTVR derivatives.
It was disclosed in February 2010 that comparative evaluation testing
Once in service the vehicles selected under Land 121 Phase 3 MHC will replace the 1,295 4-tonne payload
Mercedes-Benz Unimog (4x4) medium trucks delivered between 1982-1987
had been completed and that a down-select to Mercedes-Benz, MAN and Thales had been made. An offer definition and refinement process (ODRP) had commenced and from that a final preferred bidder will be announced late-2011. Little has been said officially
regarding the down-select, and it is probable that exact fleet composition has still to be determined. It is understood that while Mercedes-Benz and MAN have been down-selected with a full complement of vehicles, that the only Thales offering down-selected is the Bushmaster single cab utility
G4 DEFENCE
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