CABINET has approved a five-year recapitalisation project for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), which will see the army replacing obsolete and mainly unserviceable V150 armoured cars in its fleet. The JDF will, under the project, acquire 12 Thales Australia Bushmaster armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

At present, the JDF has a complement of 14 Cadillac Gage V150s, 10 of which were acquired in 1976 and the other four in 1985, according to a Jamaica House release.

“Over the course of their service life within the JDF, the vehicles have been utilised as critical enablers in many high-risk situations such as internal security deployments in support of the Jamaica Constabulary Force as well as pre and post disaster response and rescue operations in such instances as the New Market and Portland events of June 1979 and January 1999, respectively,” said the statement.

The Thales Bushmaster APC is a proven platform, designed for the urban operating environment as encountered during internal security operations, as well as the types of rugged rural terrain and adverse conditions that would exist in the event of a major natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane, said Jamaica House.

Delivery of these Thales Bushmasters is expected to commence in 2015. The new APCs will enhance the JDF’s ability to render aid to our citizens through assistance to other ministries, departments and agencies, said Jamaica House..