Hawkei leads the charge at V8 Utes finale

The military-vehicle genre seems well-removed from the world of motorsport, but the Thales Hawkei PMV (Protected Military Vehicle) still proved an attention-grabbing ‘pace car’ for the parade laps prior to the final round of the 2013 Auto One V8 Utes Racing Series at Sydney Olympic Park.

Touted as a showcase for homegrown engineering (even as the Australian car industry is on the verge of grinding to a halt), the imposing Hawkei was designed to fulfil the Australian Defence Force’s requirement for a light armoured patrol vehicle to replace some of its Land Rover Perentie variants.

Speed and potency are said to be among its hallmarks, as it’s billed as a highly mobile, highly protected, seven-tonne vehicle with built-in systems to allow it to be used as a fighting platform.

Thales joined forces with Boeing Australia, Plasan (Israel) and PAC Group to develop the Hawkei, for which the key criteria were off-road mobility, integrated vehicle electronic architecture and the ability to carry substantial payloads.

It also needed to offer high levels of protection against land mines, improvised explosive devices and ballistic weapons while being light enough to be air transported by military helicopters.

Propulsion for the Hawkei comes from a 3.2-litre turbo-diesel engine that sends 200kW and 610Nm to all four wheels via ZF 6HP280 transmission and a two-speed transfer case, endowing the vehicle with the required speed (it can hit 130km/h) and mobility.

Interestingly, the transmission reportedly belongs to the same family used in the Ford Falcon and Territory.

Capable of hauling six crew members up to 600km, the Hawkei can be used for troop movement, command and control, electronic warfare, liaison, surveillance and reconnaissance.

V8 Supercar star Craig Lowndes, the ZF Services Australia ambassador, was quoted as saying, “It's amazing what we can achieve here in Australia, our manufacturing industry is alive and kicking.”

The Hawkei is offered in three configurations – Special Operations Vehicle, Border Protection and Utility – adding to its versatility. In the last of these modes it can haul a payload of 3000kg and can accommodate four 1000mm × 1200mm NATO standard military pallets or a single tricon (one-third ISO 20ft) container.

Its weapons system options include up to 12.7mm guns or 40mm grenade systems in various mounts with a remote-operated option.

The Hawkei is currently in the prototype testing and development phase, which if successful will see upwards of 1300 vehicles produced at the Thales base in Bendigo.

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