Army patrol vehicles have been designed and manufactured at the defence contractor Thales’ facility in Bendigo, Victoria.

The Hawkei vehicles have significant advantages including that they are light enough to be transported by helicopter directly to the battlefield.

They can carry up to six soldiers, have removable armour and optional mounts for weapons including automatic grenade launchers. They may be sent to Ukraine.

Australian Defence Force chief Angus Campbell has described the Hawkei as a “very versatile vehicle, at the leading edge globally of this kind of capability”

The vehicles are named after Acanthophis hawkei, a species of death adder named in honour of former prime minister Bob Hawke.