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Thales Group
Hawkei
An Australian-designed 4x4 protected mobility vehicle developed by Thales Australia to replace unprotected Land Rovers in reconnaissance and light patrol roles. It offers scalable armor protection while remaining air-transportable by helicopter.
In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
130
km/h
600
km range
7.6
mm gun
8,100
kg
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Australia export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2017. Status: active · ~1,100 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 130 km/h Top 2% of IFVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 600 km Stronger than 53% of IFVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 7.62 mm remote weapon station
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 7.6 mm
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Scalable modular composite armor, blast-protected V-hull
- NBC protection
Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.
- Yes
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 5.8 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 8,100 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 2 Bottom 1% of IFVs
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Steyr M16 diesel
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 220 hp Bottom 5% of IFVs
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Diesel (wheeled 4x4)
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1,100 Stronger than 52% of IFVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of IFVs
Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
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Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Thales Group Hawkei? +
The Thales Group Hawkei has a maximum speed of 130 km/h.
What is the range of the Thales Group Hawkei? +
The Thales Group Hawkei has a maximum range of 600 km.
How much does the Thales Group Hawkei weigh? +
The Thales Group Hawkei has a combat weight of 8,100 kg.
How many crew does the Thales Group Hawkei require? +
The Thales Group Hawkei requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Thales Group Hawkei? +
The Thales Group Hawkei's primary weapon is the 7.62 mm remote weapon station.
What engine does the Thales Group Hawkei use? +
The Thales Group Hawkei is powered by the Steyr M16 diesel.
What is the Thales Group Hawkei used for? +
The Thales Group Hawkei is a ifv / apc typically used for isr, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the Thales Group Hawkei? +
The Thales Group Hawkei is operated by 1 countries.
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