Chariot of choice rolls out

Arriving in style: 6RAR soldiers test out the news Bushmaster.

Maj Mark Neich, OC D Coy 6RAR, welcomes the first 13 vehicles to Gallipoli Barracks.Photos by WO2 Graham McBean

By WO2 Graham McBean

THE Bushmaster officially rolled into Gallipoli Barracks on December 6, winning over an ever-increasing number of soldiers now using the “vehicle of choice” for moving on the battlefield.

Deliveries began on November 15 to 6RAR, which will receive more than 90 vehicles, with nine more earmarked for 1 Fd Regt by the end of 2006.

Director General Land Manoeuvre Systems Brig Grant Cavenagh handed over the keys to the new vehicles to Brig Dave Chalmers on his last day as Commander 7 Bde.

Brig Cavenagh said the extensive procurement process of the Bushmaster had produced an excellent “indigenous” vehicle specifically designed for Australian soldiers.

“The Bushmaster has been shot at, blown up, modified and put through exhaustive testing – in fact the testing has been the most rigorous of any vehicle that has been accepted by the ADF,” Brig Cavenagh said.

Brig Chalmers said motorisation was not new in the brigade, but protected mobility was the key to successful operations. “Over the last 10 years there have been some doubters of [Bushmasters] capability – but they will come around,” he said.

“Along with the ASLAV, Bushmaster is the capability of choice for the operations that the army is confronting.”

Brig Chalmers noted that with the deployment of the prototype vehicles in East Timor and the priority deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bushmaster has had more operational service than any other capability in the ADF.

Pte Robert Davidson, 6RAR, deployed with the vehicle to Afghanistan in October and said the Bushmaster was an extremely high-performance vehicle.

“It is very comfortable, reliable and robust. It is popular [in 6RAR] because it is very well armoured and you can fit a lot of weapons to it and it is extremely comfortable. It’s a good all-round vehicle,” Pte Davidson said.