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Hanwha Defence Australia and Aurizn have welcomed the first three Australian-made AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers made in Victoria.
The vehicles were made at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Victoria with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in attendance, alongside other guests including supply chain partners from around the nation.
Joining the three vehicles (Batch 1 consisting of two AS9s and one AS10, made in South Korea) announced in February last year, these new vehicles represent high-technology vehicle manufacturing coming back to the Geelong region.
Aurizn has successfully delivered a critical secure communications capability for Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) under the Commonwealth’s LAND 8116 Phase 1 program for the Huntsman family of vehicles.
Aurizn partnered with Hanwha Defence Australia to design and integrate a secure communications solution that enables sensitive information to move safely between different onboard networks, ensuring operational information can be shared without compromising security.
The capability was developed and rigorously tested at Aurizn’s ITAR-Controlled Systems Integration Laboratory in South Australia. Hanwha Defence Australia representatives participated directly in acceptance testing activities at the facility, validating performance prior to a staged rollout across vehicle platforms.
“Modern defence capability relies on secure, resilient digital connectivity,” Aurizn chief executive officer Rebecca Humble said.
“This milestone reflects the strength of Australia’s sovereign engineering expertise and the trust placed in local industry to support the Australian Army’s future force.”
Aurizn continues to work with Hanwha Defence Australia to support ongoing rollout and sustainment activities.
LAND 8116 Phase 1 will deliver the Australian Army’s AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers and AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles, providing protected mobile fires capability to the manoeuvre system of armoured vehicles and contributing to Australia’s evolving defence posture.
“Seeing the first Australian-made AS9s come off the production line and drive their first laps around our test track is a milestone that we’re all very proud of,” HDA and UK/Europe CEO Ben Hudson said.
“This program will see a game-changing capability introduced to the Australian Army underpinned by a strategic partner in Hanwha Defence Australia. With the K9 User Community now 11 nations strong, the AS9 variant pushes the boundaries of the platform.”
