Hanwha Aerospace announced today that its subsidiary, Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA), has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Land 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) program with the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle. This program includes 129 vehicles across two variants and will be delivered under an accelerated schedule, in alignment with the Australian Army’s Defence Strategic Review. This selection marks the first time that a South Korean defense company has been chosen as a preferred bidder for a program by an army of an AUKUS member, based on technical expertise and the ability to fulfil to the Australian Army’s evolving requirements. The Redback IFV is Hanwha Aerospace’s first successful export model that was designed, developed, and tested for a foreign government partner.
“We are excited for the next phase of this program that will see HDA and Australian industry deliver a world class IFV to the Australian Army. I would like to thank our industry partners who supported us through the Risk Mitigation Activity during the challenging times that COVID presented to us and since then as we prepared our winning response to the Commonwealth,” said Richard Cho, Managing Director of HDA.
“The selection of the Redback for the Australian Army is an exciting milestone, not just for soldiers, who will have an IFV specifically designed and built for them, but also for the strengthening ties between Australia and the Republic of Korea. Hanwha’s selection as the preferred bidder for the Land 400 Phase 3 has significant implications for Korea-Australia defense and economic cooperation,” said Son Jae-il, CEO and President of Hanwha Aerospace.
The Redback IFV will be manufactured at HDA’s Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence, the H-ACE, currently being built next to the Avalon Airport in Geelong. This facility is being built for the Land 8116 Protected Mobile Fires Programme to deliver the Huntsman AS9 self-propelled howitzer and AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles and will expand to support Redback in Australia plus any future international programmes. The facility will expand to deliver a world leading capability to the ADF with these platforms. These partners include Bisalloy in NSW, Elphinstone in Tasmania, Penske and Corvus in Victoria alongside many more. International partners such as Elbit Systems, Plasan and Northrop Grumman are also key in delivering this game changing capability. The programme covers 129 vehicles across two variants and will be delivered under an accelerated schedule in line with the Defence Strategic Review.
This is Australian Army’s largest ever acquisition programme to date and Hanwha Defense Australia is looking forward to delivering the Redback IFV to the Australian Army. A subsidiary of Hanwha Group, a Fortune Global 500 company, Hanwha Aerospace is the largest aerospace and defence company in South Korea. With the reputation of South Korea’s only aircraft engine maker and a global provider of advanced military and commercial aircraft engines, Hanwha Aerospace is spearheading the country’s space projects such as KSLV-II. Hanwha Aerospace has merged its subsidiary Hanwha Defense, the maker of world-renown K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer and Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, to expand its footprint in the global defense market. The company has also acquired the defense business division of Hanwha Corporation to develop and provide ammunition, precision-guided missiles, and other cutting-edge weapons systems.
