Hanwha Defence Australia Protected Mobile Fires Program
Hanwha Defense Australia Pty Ltd welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement to revive the self-propelled howitzer (SPH) capability by bringing forward the Defence acquisition program known as ‘Protected Mobile Fires’. We are also pleased to note that this important national program has bi-partisan political support.
As the most advanced and capable system in the world, the K9 SPH will provide significant
capability enhancement for the Australian Army. As the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the K9 SPH Hanwha is ready to build and assemble 30 K9 SPHs and supporting systems in Australia.
Hanwha Defense Australia looks forward to the responsibility of being the Australian prime
contractor and OEM for the Protected Mobile Fires program and other major combat vehicle
programs to support the Australian Army.
Hanwha Defense Australia is excited at the prospect of developing a significant advanced
manufacturing hub and centre of excellence to build and sustain tracked armoured vehicles in the greater Geelong region of Victoria, thus contributing to Australia’s defence self-reliance, manufacturing capacity and industrial skills base.
Hanwha Defense Australia has also designed the Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) which is currently under competitive evaluation for the Army’s Land 400 Phase 3 program. Redback is the newest IFV in the world leveraging the latest technologies for mission effectiveness. There is also significant commonality between both the K9 SPH and the Redback, including the powerful MTU 1000 hp engine, transmission and other various components. This provides significant cross platform synergies and logistics efficiencies. Should Hanwha be successful in the evaluation process for these programs, both the K9 SPH and the Redback will be built and maintained in Australia.
These strategic programs would enable the Hanwha Defense Australia business to manufacture advanced combat vehicles for both Australia’s domestic and broader international markets.
Hanwha Defense Australia and our Australian industry team is rapidly growing its presence in Australia in support of the Protected Mobile Fires program and other major Australian army combat vehicle projects.
About Hanwha
Hanwha is a ‘Global Fortune 500’ South Korean company with advanced capabilities in renewable energy, finance, leisure and defence. Its financial size is similar to a combined BHP and Telstra.
Hanwha Defense Australia also supports the accelerating bi-lateral trade relationship with South Korea, which is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner and will deepen our strategic relationship with a key north Asian ally.
