The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) has upgraded its fleet of Thales Bushmaster protected vehicles with the purchase of additional six units, bringing the total number to 18.
Under the latest contract, Jamaica ordered three Bushmasters in the troop carrier configuration and three in the ambulance configuration.
Thales said the purchase confirmed the vehicle’s performance in JDF services over the past five years.
The Bushmaster is an 11-ton, 4×4 blast and ballistic protected mobility vehicle with a 4-ton payload. The vehicle is specially designed to protect and transport up to ten people in extreme environments and hostile territory.
The new vehicles for Jamaica offer special features including fully integrated auxiliary power units (APUs) that provide power and supplementary air conditioning when the engine is off. This allows static vehicles to maintain a comfortable temperature in the hot Jamaican climate. The ambulance versions will give soldiers the ability to evacuate and treat injured police officers under the protection of the Bushmaster rather than having to deploy unarmored vehicles into dangerous situations.
Jamaica ordered the first 12 units, all troop carrier variants, in 2013, and started receiving the vehicles in 2015.
“Thales’ Bushmaster protected vehicle will lead to enhanced safety and security for Jamaican citizens, helping crime fighters in their crucial mission,” Ruben Lazo, VP Thales in Latin America, commented.
