Australian-owned maritime engineering company Birdon has signed a $125 million contract to design and build one prototype and 15 Amphibious Vehicles – Logistics (AV-L) for the Australian Army, marking a major milestone in the Land 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Program. This new fleet of amphibious vehicles will replace the Army’s aging Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vehicle (LARC-V).
Birdon CEO Jamie Bruce said the AV-L contract strengthens Australia’s sovereign defence capability and showcases Birdon’s leadership in innovative maritime and automotive engineering excellence. “The project reflects Birdon’s commitment to delivering Defence-ready solutions tailored to Australia’s unique operating environments. It builds on our proven expertise in integrated design, engineering, logistics, and construction,” Bruce said.
The AV-L design integrates cutting-edge technologies to deliver superior performance across both land and sea. It is engineered to operate as a deep-sea vessel capable of reliable surf zone transitions, while also meeting Australian road safety regulations for on-land mobility. Designed to withstand Australia’s harsh environmental conditions, the AV-L can sustain immersion in corrosive saltwater far exceeding the limitation of most amphibious vehicles. It is built to perform in extreme humidity, high temperatures, rough surf zones, and different beach landing zones, ensuring operational readiness in diverse terrains and climates.
The vehicle’s advanced propulsion and steering systems combine water jet and dynamic drive train technologies, enabling seamless transitions between marsh, clay, and surf environments. Enhanced in-water manoeuvrability, improved speed, and responsive reversing performance allow for agile operations, including rapid rescues in emergency scenarios.
Operator safety is central to the AV-L’s design. It features a system that automatically detects and adjusts for wheel bogging and slipping, providing the traction needed to exit dangerous wave zones quickly. Shock-absorbing seating and comfort features reduce operator fatigue, while front and rear steering, automatic tyre inflation and self-levelling suspension with ride height control further enhance safety during high-risk missions.
The AV-L includes a modular payload system with a deck crane, advanced fire safety measures, and a reverse flush system to clear debris from the jet intake. These features ensure the vehicle is not only mission-ready but also adaptable to a wide range of defence and humanitarian applications.
All AV-L vehicles will be constructed at Birdon’s shipbuilding yard in Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast. Coupled with Birdon’s ongoing investment in growing Australia’s maritime engineering and defence industries, the AV-L project will support local job creation and skills development in regional Australia.
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Great news for the Army, finally getting a replacement for its venerable LARCs. This was a very handy capability, especially for the ANARE Arctic expeditions. I look forward to seeing what they come up with as I always thought that they were absolutely spot on for purpose. The bad news will come after the hard work of design is done and Albachinese hands over the build to his WA boat shed.
They will be built by Birdon at Port Macquarie.
when their always emphasizing army’s transition to operating in the littoral it has always seemed the number ordered is far too small and the opportunity to make it more capable was missed (a 10 ton capacity or even 20 would have seemed a better idea and give a much better capability, and be more sellable), fifteen seems like a drop in the bucket.
They should sell half a dozen to each of the big states SES services too
Still no AAV’s included in all the purchases to enable operating in the littoral zone
Looks like a consolation award, after being kicked off the LCM build. Also, the design doesn’t look like it is a big upgrade from the previous LARCs. The offer from Varley looked like a better option https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFPIIHlGCQg. Agree with the comment above needing to purchase AAVs, Hanwha is developing one for the Korean Marine corps, should look at building these after the Redback IFVs are completed
The Korean case is interesting because their current K21 IFVs are amphibious, as they need to cross rivers and conduct seaborne assaults. The Australian Redback IFV has no amphibious capability because clearly we will never need to cross a river or carry out a seaborne assault or operate anywhere in northern Australia during the wet season. Hanwha Defence Australia has offered a version of the Redback as a possible K21 replacement, but the only way it succeeds is if the ROK Army tweaks its requirement to a mixed IFV fleet with the majority being amphibious and the Redbacks filling a to date non-existent “Heavy IFV” need. It is possible that the ROK will do that just to be nice to Australia – a gesture that will be ignored in this country.
I often wonder who makes these decisions, I was unaware that the Redback had no amphibious Capability, surely it has rudimentary capabilities ? These are multimillion Dollar projects that are falling short of what is needed. Ive worked with Defence people that were well versed in the jobs they occupied and some that didn’t know the basics, one can only surmise that the competent people in Defence are in the Minorities. In a totally different topic, I honestly hope that Birdon ( as announced) does get to build the LARC replacement.
A Redback has the amphibious capabilities of a 45 tonne brick.
When you set out to design an amphibious armoured vehicle, you end up with a very heavy boat that you can drive around in.
If you can accept not being able to float, you can add armour and firepower until your drive-around boat becomes a useful IFV that will survive being shot by a 30mm cannon.
I am certain this compromise was understood when Redback was selected.
I’m surprised that people seem to be at odds with this project. It possibly looks like an upgraded LARC becaause it’s exactly what’s needed. The original design was perfect for what it was supposed to do, so an upgraded version makes sense. The LARC was and is an amphibious truck, not an assault vehicle .Not every piece of equipment in the ADF needs to be fully armoured and capable of front line service.
Agree totally. The vehicles are also likely to have a lot of export potential.