Canberra has awarded Hanwha Aerospace subsidiary Hanwha Defense Australia a $2.4 billion contract for the supply of 129 infantry fighting vehicles.
Hanwha described the contract as a landmark purchase, noting that it is the first time South Korean defense solutions will be developed for the Australian Army.
Under the contract, HDA will supply the Redback IFV, which will be manufactured entirely in Australia. The IFV’s manufacturing facility, the HDA Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence, is currently under construction in Victoria and is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2024. Redback IFV deliveries are expected to start in 2027 and be completed in 2028.
HDA’s H-ACE facility is under the Australian Army’s Land 8116 Phase 1 Protected Mobile Fires Program also geared for delivering the Huntsman AS9 self-propelled howitzer and AS10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles.
The Redback will replace the Australian Army’s M113 armored personnel carriers and will use Allison Transmission’s X1100-5A3 cross-drive propulsion platform.
