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Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price have announced that the Australian Army will acquire 251 remote weapon stations to be equipped on the fleet of Bushmaster and Hawkei vehicles.
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The remote weapon stations, which allow a gunner to operate a weaponised system from a protected position, will be added to the Army’s Bushmaster and Hawkei protected mobility vehicles.
EOS Defence Systems’ RWS will significantly enhance the protection of Australian Defence Force personnel operating in high-risk areas, by offering improved targeting and allowing weapons to be remotely operated.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new weapons were part of the $270 billion capability upgrade for the Australian Defence Force, under the new 2020 Force Structure Plan.
"The federal government is committed to ensuring Australian Defence Force personnel have the tools they need to protect themselves and keep Australians safe. At the same time we must have a robust and resilient defence industry that maximises opportunities for small businesses and supports Australian jobs and local investment," the Prime Minister explained.
Dr Ben Greene, EOS Group chief executive, said, "This announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price has secured ongoing work for 146 Australian businesses in our supply chain, for which EOS and its suppliers are very grateful."
Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price explained the investment in new remote weapon stations would provide job stability for over 200 of Electro Optic Systems’ workforce directly involved in engineering and support.
"More than 80 per cent of the parts that Electro Optic Systems use for these weapons are sourced through the Australian supply chain and that’s good for jobs and small businesses," Minister Price said.
The R400S Mk2 is in full-rate production and is currently in use by six allied nations. The system can be mounted on a broad range of fighting and support vehicles, both wheeled and tracked.
Minister Price added, "While the federal government’s focus is on keeping Australians safe, our investments in Defence have a significant benefit for Australian businesses and workers – around 15,000 businesses and 70,000 workers benefit from our investments and that’s set to grow."
Dr Greene added, "I would like to congratulate the Morrison government on their commitment to improve Australia’s strategic defence capability, and their recognition of the critical role of the Australian industry to meet this objective. EOS Defence Systems welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Department of Defence to deliver world-class capability to our armed forces, in turn securing over 1,300 high-value, high-technology Australian jobs."
The R400S Mk2 operates a variety weapons including a machine gun, a 30mm lightweight cannon and an automatic grenade launcher.
The first round hit probability is provided through an enhanced integrated ballistic solution, which analyses weapon and ammunition data; range and ambient environment in addition to vehicle attitude and dynamics. Performance can be further enhanced with optional video track of targets and multi-axis stabilisation.
The R400S Mk2 is in service with the Australian Army and five other customers. Javelin was first deployed in 1996, and has been involved in more than 5,000 engagements by US and coalition forces.
EOS is an industry leader in remote weapon station technology and continuously invests to improve currently fielded and developing stations.
EOS Defence Systems has been exporting the RWS since 2007 to Australian partners and allies such as the US, Singapore and the Netherlands. Over 35 years, EOS has grown to become Australia’s largest defence exporter with $160 million of exports in 2019, exporting over 95 per cent of its products and services.
