Hanwa of South Korea will use Allison Transmission’s X1100-5A3 cross-drive propulsion platform for Australia’s Hanwah Redback armored vehicles.
The Australian Army chose the Redback to replace its M113 armored personnel carriers in July, beating out German company Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx vehicle.
According to Defense News, 129 Redbacks will be manufactured under Project Land 400 Phase 3-Land Combat Vehicle System, with a budget of between $3.4 billion and $4.7 billion, representing one of Australia’s largest military acquisitions.
The Redback, weighing over 40 tons, accommodates 11 soldiers and is armed with a 30 mm cannon and anti-tank missiles.
Dana Pittard, Allison Transmission’s vice president for defense programs, said the company has been a longtime partner of the manufacturing company.
Hanwha has utilized over 4,000 of its transmissions for both wheeled and tracked applications for the Republic of Korea Army as well as South Korea’s international allies.
According to the Indianapolis-based Allison, Penske Australia & New Zealand, its authorized distributor for more than 70 years, will service the X1100-5A3 transmissions locally to save time and cut costs.