Thales Australia has unveiled the next-generation Bushmaster Mulga utility variant at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, marking the most significant evolution of the combat-proven Australian armored vehicle in years.<\/p>\n
The Bushmaster 5.6 was officially revealed on the Team Defence Australia stand by Major General Jason Blain, Head of Land Systems for the Australian Defence Force’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, alongside Thales Vehicles and Tactical Systems Vice-President Julien Assoun.<\/p>\n
The unveiling forms part of a broader Thales announcement<\/a> push at Eurosatory 2026, which also included the RapidStriker counter-drone system and a new AI-powered military training analytics platform.<\/p>\n From Bendigo to global market<\/p>\n The Bushmaster has built its reputation over nearly three decades of continuous service. Produced at Thales Australia’s Bendigo, Victoria facility since 1997, more than 1,300 units have been built and deployed in operations spanning East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, the Golan Heights, and, most recently, Ukraine.<\/p>\n The 5.6 variant is explicitly designed for global export. Its most visible change is a new left-hand-drive configuration \u2014 a departure from the right-hand-drive layout standard in Australian service, aimed squarely at international buyers across Europe, the Middle East, and other left-hand-drive markets. The redesign also introduces more user-friendly door access and vehicle entry systems, as well as enhanced digital displays in the cabin.<\/p>\n Built around connectivity and counter-drone integration<\/p>\n What distinguishes the 5.6 from earlier Mulga variants is not just cosmetic \u2014 it is architectural. Thales says the new version features systems that are more interconnected, supporting both autonomous and crewed operations, and is capable of integrating a range of different sensors, effectors, and mission systems depending on customer requirements.<\/p>\n Counter-drone capability sits at the center of that flexibility. The Bushmaster 5.6 has been designed to support electronic warfare measures, remote weapon stations, and laser-guided rockets \u2014 Thales separately unveiled a next-generation 70mm laser-guided rocket dedicated to counter-drone operations at the same event.<\/p>\n The vehicle was also showcased at Eurosatory as the demonstration platform for RapidStriker<\/a>, Thales’s new mobile air defense system designed to detect and neutralize aerial threats \u2014 including drones and low-flying helicopters \u2014 within seconds using a combination of sensors, automated fire control, and multiple weapon options.<\/p>\n Thales Australia & New Zealand CEO Jeff Connolly framed the upgrade as a direct response to the changing character of modern warfare, particularly the lessons drawn from drone proliferation on the battlefield in Ukraine.<\/p>\n