Hanwha Begins Construction of Australian Assembly Plant
The procurement of 155mm K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH) under Australia’s Project Land 8116 has passed its programme design review as a first stage towards setting the final engineering design parameters.
Meanwhile, construction has started on a new assembly facility for the K9 – known locally the AS9 Huntsman – near Geelong in Victoria by prime contractor Hanwha. A spokesman told MON the facility will take two years to build, with a completion date at the end of 2025 and the first locally-assembled AS9 expected to roll off the production line in late 2027.
An initial pair of AS9s will be built entirely by Hanwha in South Korea and provided at an earlier date to the Australian Army. This means that an initial operating capability (IOC) can be achieved before delivery of the balance of Australian-assembled vehicles. However, it is not clear if the Australian Army will conduct any training on the howitzers prior to being shipped to Australia.
Hanwha was awarded a A$1 billion ($644 million) contract in December 2021 for the delivery of 30 A29 SPH and 15 AS10 ammunition handling vehicles. The new A$170 million Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) encompasses some 15ha, with an additional 5ha to host industrial partners, and will include an assembly shed, engineering offices, workshops, a test track and an underground firing range.
The vehicle hulls will be delivered by Hanwha to the H-ACE, with final build and integration of equipment taking place at the facility, including the driveline, engines, tracks, and other government-furnished equipment. Meanwhile, Tasmania-based company Elphinstone will build turret structures for the AS9 and AS10, to be outfitted and integrated. Following completion of the AS9s, Hanwha will conduct its own vehicle test, evaluation, verification and validation processes at H-ACE.
Hanwha added that the next design review will take place in about 6-8 months, followed by a third engineering design milestone to finalise the design. After IOC, Full Material Release will be completed, signifying completion of testing and approving Huntsman’s combat capabilities.
The training and simulation package for the platform is still under development, but the Army has to decide what level of training it wants to complete itself and what becomes Hanwha’s responsibility.
A second batch of AS9 and AS10s are expected to follow under Phase two of Land 8116, with a mid-life upgrade of the initial batch of vehicles in the mid-2030s under a third phase.
Tim Fish reporting from Brisbane
