Redback IFV / Land 400 Phase 3
The Albanese Government announced 10 December 2023 that Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) has been downselected as the preferred tenderer for the multibillion dollar Land 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) program with the Redback IFV, with final Government Approval to be sought at the conclusion of contract negotiations. This was Army’s largest ever acquisition program to date and HDA was looking forward to delivering the Redback IFV to the Australian Army. The program covers 129 vehicles across two variants and will be delivered under an accelerated schedule in line with the Defence Strategic Review.
Redback spiders (Latrodectus hasselti) belong to the Family Theridiidae, which is found worldwide. The notorious Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus sp) of the United States is a close relative of the Redback Spider, and only differs in appearance by the absence of a red dorsal stripe. Female Redback Spiders are black (occasionally brownish) with an obvious orange to red longitudinal stripe on the upper abdomen, with the red stripe sometimes being broken, and an "hourglass" shaped red/orange spot on the underside of the abdomen.
Redback Spiders are found Australia-wide and will live almost anywhere They are capable of capturing quite large animals, such as male trapdoor spiders, king crickets and small lizards, if they become entangled in the web. Spiderlings are cannibalistic and will eat unhatched eggs and other spiderlings. The spiderlings disperse by ballooning to another suitable nest site on long silk threads that are caught by air currents. Only the female bite is dangerous. They can cause serious illness and have caused deaths.
Equipped with advanced situational awareness systems normally found on jet fighters , the Redback IFV rides on rubber tracks that reduce noise and vibration while offering superior ride quality for its crew and the soldiers it protects. The vehicle boasts an advanced layered protection system including Elbit’s active protection system, Plasan’s world class armour and a structure designed to protect occupants from the effects of blast. Using Australian steel from Bisalloy, the vehicle allows soldiers to fight at every step on the battlefield. All this is supported by an independent suspension system which does not use torsion bars thus supplying more space for innovative blast mitigation systems.
Redback’s main armament is a Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon from Northrop Grumman capable of firing all natures of 30mm x 173mm ammunition in service with 19 nations, including the US, the UK, and other allies. The Redback is also armed with a 7.62mm co-axially mounted machine gun, and a remote weapons station that can be fitted with a range of weapons including 7.62mm machine gun, .50 calibre machine and an automatic grenade launcher. “The Redback is a highly advanced infantry fighting vehicle and is one of the safest and most lethal platform soldiers can use,” Mr Cho said. “The Iron Vision system that allows the Redback’s crew to effectively look through the hull of the vehicle as though it isn’t there is an absolute game changer when it comes to operating heavy armoured vehicles in close company with dismounted troops.”
“We are excited for the next phase of this program that will see HDA and Australian industry deliver a world class IFV to the Australian Army,” Mr Richard Cho, Managing Director of HDA said. “I would like to thank our industry partners who supported us through the Risk Mitigation Activity during the challenging times that COVID presented to us and since then as we prepared our winning response to the Commonwealth.”
“The selection of the Redback for the Australian Army is an exciting milestone not just for soldiers, who will have an IFV that was specifically designed and built for them, as it also cements the closer ties between Australia and the Republic of Korea.” HDA will work with the Commonwealth to finalise the contract suite and deliver the optimum outcome for the Australian Army.
“Hanwha’s selection as preferred tenderer for the Land 400 Phase 3 project has major implications for Korea-Australia defence and economic cooperation,” Mr Son Jaeil, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, parent company of HDA said. Production of the world’s first fifth generation IFV is a game changer for Australian Defence capability. We’re looking forward to being a true partner to Australia for this program alongside LAND 8116 Phase 1.”
Hanwha Defense Australia is a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, a division of the vast Republic of Korea Fortune 500 conglomerate Hanwha Corporation. Hanwha Corporation has been operating in Australia since 2005 in areas including mining equipment, logistics and sustainable energy. Headquartered in Melbourne, Hanwha Defense Australia was established in 2019 with an initial focus on Land Systems. The company signed a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia to supply self-propelled artillery systems under LAND 8116, a $0.9 billion to $1.3 billion project. These vehicles will be manufactured in the Greater Geelong area of Victoria at the HDA Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE), now under construction.
The Redback IFV will be manufactured at HDA’s Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence, the H-ACE, currently being built next to the Avalon Airport in Geelong. This facility was being built for the Land 8116 Protected Mobile Fires Program to deliver the Huntsman AS9 self-propelled howitzer and AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles and will expand to support Redback in Australia plus any future international programs.
The facility will expand to deliver a world leading capability to the ADF with these platforms. This will create hundreds of jobs not just for HDA but also the nationally based supply chain of Australian industry partners. These partners include Bisalloy in NSW, Elphinstone in Tasmania, Penske and Corvus in Victoria alongside many more. International partners such as Elbit Systems, Plasan and Northrop Grumman are also key in delivering this game changing capability.
The army’s infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) tender was due to be narrowed to a short list by mid-2019. The Land 400 Phase 3 contract could be for up to 450 close-combat troop-carrying armoured vehicles, costing up to $15 billion, to replace the M113 armoured personnel carriers. The government says the IFV contract will be “the largest investment in [the] army’s capability ever undertaken’’ and requirements will range from peacekeeping to close combat.
the project will see Army’s capability significantly enhanced with a fleet of up to 450 modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles and 17 Manoeuvre Support Vehicles. The Shortlist would be announced in third quarter of 2019 - a maximum of two solutions will be shortlisted. After evaluation, a contract would be signed in 2022. As of 2018 the anticipated Initial Operating Capability was FY 2024–25, with a Final Operating Capability anticipated in 2030.
The LAND 400 Phase 3 Mounted Close Combat Capability Request For Tender (RFT) was released 05 September 2018 and would closed at 5.00pm AEST Friday 1 March 2019. LAND 400 will acquire and support the next generation of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) with the firepower, protection and mobility to defeat increasingly firepower and adaptive adversaries well into the future.
Land 400 Phase 3 seeks an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) with high levels of protection, mobility and lethality, capable of lifting a standard infantry battalion section including six dismounts. A key discriminator will be the tactical manoeuvrability of the IFV. These are to be similar to the Australian M1 Main Battle Tank to enable combined arms manoeuvre, along with operational and strategic mobility on ADF platforms.
Defence’s preference was for a tracked vehicle with a manned turret. The project will also provide specialist tracked Manoeuvre Support Vehicles to enable Army to undertake combat Support Vehicles to enable Army to undertake combat operations in a joint environment to overcome enemy constructed obstacles and to aid the construction of defensive fortifications.
LAND 400 will deliver enhanced levels of survivability to the Joint Land Force including sensors, weapons and information systems which will be networked to strategic intelligence platforms. At its foundation, the program will deliver replacements for the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) and M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) fleets. The program will also provide specialist Manoeuvre Support Vehicles (MSV) to properly enable Army’s combat brigades to undertake joint land combat.
LAND 400 has four discrete phases:
- LAND 400 Phase 1 – Project Definition Study (completed).
- LAND 400 Phase 2 – Mounted Combat Reconnaissance Capability, primarily enabled by the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) mission system (the ASLAV replacement).
- LAND 400 Phase 3 – Mounted Close Combat Capability, primarily enabled by the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) (the M113 APC replacement) and MSV mission systems.
- LAND 400 Phase 4 – Integrated Training System.
The Defence Industry Capability Plan (DICP) outlines Government’s vision to build a robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian defence industry base that was better able to help meet defence capability requirements, advance Australia’s economy and create and sustain Australian jobs. The DICP introduces an initial list of ten Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (SICP). A number have been identified for L400 Phase 3. The proposed Australian Industry Capability (AIC) Plan solution in response to L400 Phase 3 was a key consideration in evaluating the offers. The AIC plan was to be optimised to deliver VFM to the CoA.
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne encouraged Australian industry to get behind the project, saying, "I actively encourage Australian small and medium sized enterprises to take advantage of the significant opportunities arising from this project."
| DE | Lynx KF41 | Rheinmetall |
| IS | Namer APC | General Dynamics (GDLS) |
| ROK | AS21 Redback | Hanwha |
| UK | AJAX | General Dynamics (GDLS) |
| UK | CV90 | BAE Systems |
BAE Systems Australia and Rheinmetall Defence Australia are among European-controlled companies expected to tender, and US and Israeli tenders may still turn up. BAE Systems has a well-established manufacturing chain in Australia and Rheinmetall has an expanding Australia-wide chain based in Queensland. The German-owned company was seen as having an early advantage in the running, partly because of the manufacturing commonality possible at its Brisbane hub being set up to assemble its Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles, a $5.2bn contract.
Rheinmetall launched its campaign to secure the $15 billion Land 400 Phase 3 program with the arrival of its new Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) in Adelaide ahead of the 2018 Land Forces Conference. The Lynx is a tracked, protected IFV designed to meet the military requirements of Land 400 Phase 3, which is an IFV for close combat - to close in and defeat an enemy. Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director Gary Stewart said the Lynx – which touched down at Adelaide Airport aboard an Antonov cargo carrier - had been designed to satisfy the demands of the Army for the next 30-40 years.
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has launched its AJAX-based armoured fighting vehicle as a contender for Land 400 Phase 3 at the Land Forces conference in Adelaide. In a statement, GDLS said that AJAX, which was developed, tested, and produced in the UK, can be adapted to meet the Army's mounted close combat capability requirements including the Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which will incorporate a GLDS 30mm turret. The AJAX vehicles have an open generic vehicle architecture and modular armour system.
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