Hawkei Light Protected Vehicle, Australia

Hawkei is a lightweight protected vehicle designed and developed to meet the requirements of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The vehicle is manufactured by Thales Australia for the Department of Defence's Land 121 phase 4 programme that aims to replace the Australian Army's Land Rovers. The vehicle is named after a stealthy species of death adder Acanthophis Hawkei, a native of Australia. The Hawkei is a prototype vehicle and can accommodate six soldiers. It is designed to be protected from blasting and ballistic missiles.

The vehicle weighs approximately 7,000kg and is developed as a next-generation light mobility vehicle. It was officially launched on 29 September 2009 and will replace unarmoured Land Rovers. The Hawkei can be airlifted by a C-130 Hercules transport or other standard cargo aircraft. It can travel at a maximum speed of 100km/h over a range of more than 1,000km.

Hawkei has been tested against improvised explosive devices (IED) to ensure that its design allows maximum protection. Tests were conducted to gather the data and modernise the blast management system equipped in the vehicle. The first series of mine blast test on the Hawkei vehicle's passenger compartment were completed on 26 November 2009.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $1bn. The Hawkei was showcased at the Armoured Vehicles Australia event held at the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra, on 4 November 2009.

Orders and deliveries

The forecast report of the ADF stated that orders for the Hawkei would not exceed more than 1,300 vehicles.

The first prototype of the vehicle will be delivered to ADF at the end of 2010 with trials scheduled for 2011. The contract will be awarded in 2012, followed by production.

Hawkei design

The Hawkei design encompasses high levels of blast and ballistic protection. The vehicle is designed to incorporate the future system requirements of adaptive campaigning with C4I (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence) capabilities. It can be upgraded for specific missions. The integral V-shaped monocoque hull and blast absorption system provide objective level blast protection.

Hawkei's hull is designed to protect the vehicle from blasts while incorporating high levels of tactical and operational mobility, and allow easy conversion between variants. The vehicle's adaptable ballistic protection technology is designed for air transportation, and is reconfigurable by a two-person crew in under half an hour without using specialised devices or equipment.

Armament

A remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) is installed in the Hawkei vehicle. It is an automated control weapon station principally used for light and medium-calibre weapons. The RCWS can accommodate remote control weapons encompassing 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and 12.7mm machine guns, 40mm automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and observation pods.

The RCWS can accommodate weapons up to 12.7mm machine guns and is manufactured by Samson Technologies Corporation, US.

Contractors

Thales Australia is the prime contractor in the design and development of Australia's Hawkei lightweight mobility vehicle. Boeing, Plasan Sasa and PAC Group are partners of Thales, supporting the Hawkei project.

Boeing Defence Australia provides integrated logistic support (ILS) to Thales during the design and development of the Hawkei vehicle. In August 2009, Boeing Defence Australia was awarded a contract by Thales Australia to offer ILS for its Hawkei protected mobility vehicle. The contract encompasses supporting Thales during the design and development phase of the Hawkei vehicle to ensure the vehicle lasts longer while saving costs.

Armour solution provider Plasan Sasa is supporting Thales Australia to achieve the highest levels of protection in the Hawkei lightweight vehicle.

PAC Group has worked closely with Thales Australia to provide a flexible production capability.

Engine

The Hawkei vehicle is powered by a Steyr V6 diesel engine and is manufactured by Steyr Motors GmbH, Austria. The inline starter or generator offers sufficient level of electrical power to drive the C4I and mission equipment.