Hawkei grounded after ‘safety incident’

AN ARMOURED military vehicle, which is supposed to protect troops in the heat of battle cannot be protected from a blown tyre.

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AN ARMOURED military vehicle, which is supposed to protect troops in the heat of battle cannot be protected from a blown tyre.

The ‘Hawkei’, which is designed to sustain direct hits from blast and ballistic missiles, is being forced to tow a trailer, because it cannot be fitted with a spare tyre, a massive blunder according to Defence insiders.

Worth about $1.5 billion, Army’s new ‘Hawkei’ protected vehicle was announced for full scale production in early September, only to be grounded three months later.

The Bulletin can reveal the entire 230 strong Hawkei fleet has been taken off the road following a “safety incident" at a Victorian army training base.

A Defence spokesman confirmed a ‘safety’ incident on November 23 at the Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria had resulted in the suspension of 230 Hawkei's.

“Defence and Thales (a Defence contractor) are working together to investigate the cause of the incident,” the Defence spokesman said.

“There were no injuries sustained as a result.”

Worth about $1.5 billion, Army’s Hawkei was announced for full scale production, only to be grounded three months later.

The Hawkei’s have been held in Townsville since 2017 as part of ongoing trials.

This latest safety issue comes as Defence sources highlight a number of design faults, who said it was a requirement to tow a trailer for the sole purpose of carrying a spare tyre due to having nowhere for it to fit on the vehicle itself.

They also revealed that drivers of the Hawkei were unable to alter side mirrors from within the vehicle, despite its purpose being a protection vehicle.

Shockingly they also said despite the vehicle being armoured, the engine was not protected due to its fibreglass cover.

The Hawkei garnered its name from a species of death adder, the ACANTHOPHIS Hawkei, found along the border of Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Designed and manufactured in Australia by Thales, the Hawkei adds to Army’s fleet of Armoured Fighting Vehicles.

On September 3, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said in a media statement the vehicle performed “exceptionally well throughout comprehensive ballistic and blast testing”, meeting Defence’s stringent requirements for protection.

However, when contacted by The Bulletin about its design faults and costs, Minister Reynolds did not respond.

A Defence spokeswoman said the Hawkei has been specifically designed to provide a high-level of blast and ballistic protection for the vehicle occupants.

“The vehicle windows cannot be opened as this meets the ADF’s stringent blast and ballistic protection requirements and it is best practice across protected vehicle fleets,” the Defence spokeswoman said.

“Both the vehicle and trailer will each be capable of carrying a spare wheel.”

Originally published as Hawkei grounded after ‘safety incident’