Hanwha Defense Australia was announced as the successful tenderer for the AU$5–7 billion LAND 400 Phase 3 program to replace Australia's Cold War-era fleet of M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers.
The government's Defence Strategic Review called for a scaling back of the original 450 vehicles proposed in the original request for tender and force identified in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update Force Structure Plan.
Australia's fleet of 129 infantry fighting vehicles will be manufactured in Australia at the AU$170 million specialist Hanwha Defense Australia facility, which will also be responsible for delivering the Australian Army's future AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzers.
The Redback's main armament is an Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon capable of firing all natures of 30mm x 173mm ammunition in service with 19 nations, including the US, the UK, and other allies and NATO forces.
The Redback is also armed with a 7.62mm coaxially mounted machine gun and the Electro Optic Systems' remote weapons station can be fitted with a range of weapons including a 7.62mm machine gun, a .50 calibre machine gun, and an automatic grenade launcher.
Hanwha's vehicle incorporates a suite of advanced protection systems – ranging from an advanced hull built in Tasmania by Elphinstone, a high-quality steel manufactured by Wollongong-based Bisalloy, an advanced armour from Plasan, and Elbit's active defence systems – to keep Australian soldiers safe in high-intensity combat environments.
The Redback program is expected to provide approximately AU$9 billion worth of economic value across the country, with 600 direct jobs and more than a thousand jobs throughout the Australian supply chain and AU$5.7 billion expected to be generated in Victoria alone.
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