Hanwha Defense Australia announced that Kongsberg Defence Australia will be its Command, Control, Communications, and Computing (C4) Integration partner for Project Land 8116 Phase 1 (Protected Mobile Fires). This follows the government’s recent announcement that it intends to acquire a quantity of Self-Propelled Howitzers and Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicles and that the preferred supplier is Hanwha Defense Australia.
Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia Richard Cho said that Kongsberg Defence Australia was a natural choice for the Protected Mobile Fires program as they provide the proven digital architecture and Fire Control System for Hanwha’s K9 and K10. “The cooperation between Hanwha and Kongsberg Defence has already proven to be highly successful for the recent Norwegian ‘Vidar’ K9 and K10 Program, and in the delivery of K9 vehicles to Finland and Estonia,” Cho said.
Hanwha’s K9 is known locally as the Huntsman and it will bring improved interoperability for the ADF with both NATO and US armed forces through Kongsberg Defence’s integrated ODIN fire support system.
Kongsberg Defence will be responsible for integrating the Protected Mobile Fires capability into the ADF’s C4 Force Structure, including the integration of tactical communication systems and Battle Management Systems, and will also transfer hardware and software technology to Kongsberg Defence Australia to execute and support the Australian Protected Mobile Fires Program.
Hanwha Defense Australia is planning a new manufacturing facility in the Greater Geelong area in Victoria to produce its Huntsman artillery systems and the armoured resupply vehicles. The Geelong facility will be a key hub in fulfilling the company’s extensive AIC program on Land 8116. Kongsberg Defence Australia will also establish a local software support and test environment that will be used by Kongsberg Defence to support Land 8116 and other programs in Australia and the region.
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