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An Australian firm has been selected to supply Hanwha with fire safety systems for its vehicle fleets.
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HIFraser, a local provider of safety critical and habitability systems, has been tapped by Defense Australia to deliver automated fire suppression systems (AFSS) for armoured vehicle crew safety.
The contract includes the provision of AFSS for Hanwha’s Huntsman vehicles — comprising the AS9 self-propelled howitzer and AS10 armoured resupply vehicles — proposed for the LAND 8116 Phase 1 program.
The Sydney-based SME, which supplies the current fire suppression systems for the Royal Australian Navy’s submarine fleet, secured the current following a competitive tender process undertaken in 2020.
Hanwha stated it was attracted by HIFraser’s “proactive approach” to collaborative international relationships, and its commitment to “leveraging experiences from adjacent business operations”.
HIFraser is also expected to supply and support safety systems delivery in the Republic of South Korea, given its teaming agreement with the system OEM, DNB, a safety systems company based in Korea.
HIFraser is set to join DNB’s global supply chain, supplying a proportion of the system components back into Korea for Hanwha vehicles fitted with DNB’s fire suppression system.
“Hanwha is proud to announce HIFraser as our in-country partner of choice for fire suppression systems, and we are excited about the ongoing discussions for them to support our vehicles in Korea as well,” Richard Cho, managing director of Hanwha Defense Australia, said.
“Hanwha has been very impressed with HIFraser’s capabilities and their team player attitude, which is already visible as our respective engineering teams collaborate on vehicle safety solutions.
“Safety and survivability present a formidable challenge in a military vehicle, particularly those that are likely to be deployed in high threat environments. I am very pleased to have such a capable partner as HIFraser working with Hanwha to ensure our vehicles are as safe as they can be.”
Chris Williams, managing director of HIFraser, welcomed the new partnership with Hanwha.
“The Hanwha team have been appreciative of the value we bring,” he said.
“Our in-house technical team combine specialised services for unparalleled design and through-life capabilities, while our significant warehouse stock means we can respond swiftly to critical issues.”
HIFraser is currently in discussions to further extend its involvement with Hanwha’s Australian programs.
[Related: Hanwha autonomous ground vehicle passes further development trials]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
