US army to buy Australian-made armoured vehicles

An Australian company is close to signing a multi-million dollar deal to supply the United States army with armoured vehicles, a report said Friday. Defence manufacturer Thales Australia is expected to announce it will provide 1,500 Bushmaster armoured personnel carriers to the US within days, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said without citing sources.
Bushmasters are specially built to withstand the impact of land mines and improvised explosive devices and are currently used by the Australian and Dutch armies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The executive director of the Australian Defence Association Neil James said the US had been impressed with the performance of the Bushmaster.