PM Andrew Holness Reassures the Public That the JDF’s Bushmaster Vehicles are Not Only for the Force – Watch Video

March 16, 2023

Following the Commissioning Ceremony for the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) new Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reassured the Jamaican public that the vehicles will not only aid the government’s security plan but bolster disaster preparedness as well.

Holness commissioned six new Bushmasters into service for the JDF on February 21 at their headquarters at Up Park Camp in Kingston. The armoured infantry vehicle is an 11-tonne four-wheel-drive unit designed to protect up to 10 occupants in extreme and hostile environments.

The Bushmasters include three troop carrier vehicles that provide secure transportation and three ambulance variations that allow the occupants to evacuate and treat injured personnel while under armoured protection. During February’s commissioning ceremony, Holness said the new vehicles were not exclusively for the JDF’s use but were multifunctional assets that would be utilized in medical evacuations, training, and border security.

Holness, who is also the minister of defence, explained that the vehicles would increase the JDF’s visibility and presence in communities that were challenged with high levels of violence and crime.

On Thursday, the prime minister shared a short video of the ceremony, which included an emergency medical drill by members of the JDF, and reassured the public that the Bushmaster’s use would be expansive in the country.

“These recently commissioned Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles form a critical part of our strategy geared at strengthening our national security apparatus and bolstering our disaster response capabilities,” Prime Minister Holness stated.