PARIS — A Thales Hawkei armored tactical vehicle developed for the Australian army went on display June 11 for the first time in Europe at the Eurosatory show.

Thales signed May 23 a AU$38 million contract to continue development of the 7-ton vehicle under a prototype-to-production deal, said Paul Harris, Thales Australia director for strategy, sales and marketing. The development contract covers six units.

The Hawkei is lighter than the larger Bushmaster vehicle, which carries 10 crew and has operated in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is designed to offer a similar level of protection, Harris said. The Hawkei can carry six crew and 3 tons of payload.

The Hawkei is expected to enter production around 2015.

The Australian government plans to acquire 1,300 new light protected vehicles to replace the Land Rover fleet, under the LAND 121 phase-4 program, Thales said in a statement.