Plasan, a leader in the design, development and integration of advanced armoured protection systems, for all types of wheeled and tracked vehicles, is proud to have been selected together with Thales for the Land 121 Protected Mobile Vehicle – light (PMV-L) programme.

The Thales and Plasan innovative design will help ensure troops successfully and safely complete their mission. Thales and Plasan have worked side by side for several years to be able to develop, test and provide the final winning solution.

Plasan will be responsible for delivering the fully protected body kit for the 1,100 Hawkei vehicles to be provided to the Australian Defense Force (ADF), on a contract spread over the next five years.

The Hawkei solution includes:

  • Advanced armoured kitted hull designs that are built to optimise survivability against a full range of blast and ballistic threats
  • Blast protected seats, restraints and stowage to minimise crew impact during adverse events
  • An integrated system designed to absorb and deflect blast energy
  • A transparent and opaque armour for high-level of kinetic threats, including fast stow and removable add-on kits

Plasan CEO Dani Ziv said: "We want to congratulate Thales for securing the Hawkei programe and we are honoured to be part of the winning team and to provide advanced solutions for one of the world’s leading protected military vehicles.

"Thales – Plasan cooperation for the development, testing and production of the protective solution is an achievement for both companies and we look forward to extending our cooperation for future programmes and contracts. This contract is another major milestone for Plasan, demonstrating our dominance of providing advanced high-protection solutions to future vehicles."

Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins said: "This is a great day for the ADF and for Australian industry.

"Hawkei is a highly capable vehicle that will serve this country well for many years to come, and we are delighted that the Department of Defence has recognised the importance of this vehicle by reaching this milestone.

"We are proud to have been chosen to deliver this next-generation of protected vehicles to our armed forces, and we stand by them ready to support and adapt it as their requirements evolve. We also thank Plasan, who have been with us on this long journey and played a significant role in shaping the Hawkei and contributing to its success. It’s a great story about what Australian industry and international partnerships can achieve."