Hanwha's Redback vehicle, with Elbit turret, shortlisted for Australian Army program
The contenders for the infantry fighting vehicle program have been narrowed down to Hanwha Defense's Redback and Rheinmetall Defence's Lynx KF41
Eyal Boguslavsky
| 18/03/2021
The Redback. Photo: Hanwha
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has officially unveiled the names of the two shortlisted contenders for the Australian Army’s $14–21 billion infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) requirement. Prototypes of the Australia Redback, produced by South Korea's Hanwha Defense, and the Australia Lynx KF41, produced by Germany's Rheinmetall Defence, were showcased in an event held last week in Canberra.
Three prototypes of each vehicle have been handed over to the DoD to undergo risk-mitigation activities (RMAs) that will include mobility, reliability, and blast testing. The RMAs will also analyze each vehicle’s ability to integrate with other major Australian Defence Force land, sea, and air capabilities, including amphibious lift. Contracts, supply chains, and maintenance associated with the vehicles will also be examined, with a recommendation on the preferred tenderer to be presented to the Australian government for consideration in 2022, according to a report by Janes.
The Australian Army’s Project Land 400 Phase 3 is aimed at providing and supporting up to 450 tracked IFVs and 17 maneuver support vehicles that will be built in Australia. These will replace the army’s obsolescent M113AS4 armored personnel carriers, which date from the mid-1960s, the report said.
The Hanwha Redback has a turret made by Elbit Systems and a Spike missile launcher made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
The contenders for the infantry fighting vehicle program have been narrowed down to Hanwha Defense's Redback and Rheinmetall Defence's Lynx KF41
The Redback. Photo: Hanwha
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has officially unveiled the names of the two shortlisted contenders for the Australian Army’s $14–21 billion infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) requirement. Prototypes of the Australia Redback, produced by South Korea's Hanwha Defense, and the Australia Lynx KF41, produced by Germany's Rheinmetall Defence, were showcased in an event held last week in Canberra.
Three prototypes of each vehicle have been handed over to the DoD to undergo risk-mitigation activities (RMAs) that will include mobility, reliability, and blast testing. The RMAs will also analyze each vehicle’s ability to integrate with other major Australian Defence Force land, sea, and air capabilities, including amphibious lift. Contracts, supply chains, and maintenance associated with the vehicles will also be examined, with a recommendation on the preferred tenderer to be presented to the Australian government for consideration in 2022, according to a report by Janes.
The Australian Army’s Project Land 400 Phase 3 is aimed at providing and supporting up to 450 tracked IFVs and 17 maneuver support vehicles that will be built in Australia. These will replace the army’s obsolescent M113AS4 armored personnel carriers, which date from the mid-1960s, the report said.
The Hanwha Redback has a turret made by Elbit Systems and a Spike missile launcher made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
