Jamaica flexes crime-fighting muscle by boosting fleet of Thales Bushmaster Protected Vehicles

• The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) is upgrading its fleet of counter-crime equipment with the purchase of 6 state-of-the-art Thales Bushmaster Protected Vehicles.
• The enhanced fleet of 18 vehicles allows the JDF to field larger operations in support of the Jamaican Constabulary Force’s (JCF) crime fighting efforts across the country.
• This purchase of more than 7 million euros is a testament to the performance of the Bushmaster in JDF services over the previous five years.

The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) has bolstered and upgraded its fleet of Thales Bushmaster Protected Vehicles. The purchase of 6 additional Bushmasters, 3 troops carrier and 3 ambulance versions, brings its fleet to 18, significantly strengthening the JDF’s ability to fight crime while simultaneously keeping its soldiers protected and comfortable. This substantial purchase confirms the Bushmaster’s outstanding performance in JDF services over the past five years.

The Bushmaster is an 11-tonne, 4x4 blast and ballistic protected mobility vehicle with a 4-tonne payload. This multifaceted, combat proven vehicle is specially designed to protect and transport up to ten people in extreme environments and hostile territory. The Bushmaster saves lives on and off- road, providing an excellent balance of protection, mobility, space and cost that is well proven in service to many nations around the world.

The new vehicles for Jamaica offer special features including fully integrated Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) that provide power and supplementary air conditioning when the engine is off. This allows static vehicles to maintain a comfortable temperature in the hot Jamaican climate. As the ambulance versions will give soldiers the ability to evacuate and treat injured police officers under the protection of the Bushmaster rather than having to deploy vulnerable unarmored vehicles into dangerous situations.