32,000m2 $170 Million Facility
Hanwha Defense has begun construction of a new armoured vehicle centre in Australia, following the win of a A$1 billion ($746 million) contract last December to supply artillery and ammunition resupply vehicles to the Australian Army.
The company held a sod-turning ceremony on 8 April for its ‘Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence’ at Avalon Airport in Greater Geelong, Victoria, that was also attended by CEO Son Jae-il and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The project is expected to create a minimum of 300 jobs over its lifespan, generating ongoing support opportunities for Australian industry until the late 2040s, according to Canberra. “Importantly, several local businesses will be engaged along the way to help deliver this critical $1 billion defence project. This includes an Australian-owned Victorian-based construction company that will build this A$170 million facility, with completion by 2024,” said Morrison. The 32,000m2 centre will include multiple assembly lines, a 1,500m test track, a deep-water test facility, and an obstacle course to test capability.
The facility is being built to deliver platforms under the Land 8116 Phase 1 (also known as Protected Mobile Fires). The Australian Army has ordered 30 155mm AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers (SPH) and 15 AS10 Huntsman armoured ammunition resupply vehicles (AARV) to enhance its artillery capabilities. The Huntsman vehicles are based on Hanwha’s K9 Thunder SPH and K10 AARV, both of which are operated by the Republic of Korea Army, among other armed services.
Speaking about the new SPHs, Defence Industry Minister, Melissa Price, commented, “The big advantage of these highly mobile, hard-hitting weapons is that they can fire, and immediately move, before any enemy can accurately locate them. The new guns, mounted on tracks and with heavy armour, offer much better protection to their crews in the face of nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological threats […] The result is that our troops have a mobile and versatile weapon system that gives them the best possible chance of successfully completing their mission and returning home safely.”
Gabriel Dominguez reporting for MON
