Yesterday, The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) formally accepted an Australian donation of 15 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) to be used in peacekeeping operations. With the Indo-Pacific now a hotspot for state competition, the Australian Defence Force has stressed the importance of having well-trained, well-equipped allies.
Initially announced in 2021, TNI soldiers spent several weeks in Darwin, Australia undergoing comprehensive training on the operation and maintenance of the vehicles.
Quoted on the Australian Defence Force’s official site, Major Matt Breckenridge stated, “The Bushmaster is particularly well suited to missions where there is an increased risk of ambush, mines or improvised explosive devices, which are common to the mission areas where TNI conduct peacekeeping operations.” To date, the TNI has 2500 personnel deployed in global peacekeeping operations at any given time, making it the 7th largest contributor to international peacekeeping efforts.
The donation of the PMVs is another step amongst many that Australia has taken in recent years to strengthen ties with its allies in the Pacific, as set forth in the nation’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review, which Defence Minister Richard Marles claimed to be “the most important shift in Australia’s defence posture in decades.”
