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Hanwha Defence Australia has begun the second stage of facility development at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence.
Progressing onto stage two of the facilities marks an important milestone for Hanwha, as for the past year they have been working on the expansion of the site for their new vehicle maintenance and production space for the Australian Army, backed by LAND 400 Phase 3.
Once finished, the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) will begin to deliver the largest ever acquisition program for the Army through the Redback infantry fighting vehicles.
“Stage two will allow us to build upon the capability and capacity from stage one opened in 2024, so that we have the ability to run parallel production lines for both the Huntsman and Redback vehicles,” said Hanwha Defence CEO Ben Hudson.
“Hanwha have now invested almost $225 million in the site, making it a strategic asset not just for Australia and South Korea but for the wider region when it comes to both production and future maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade work, alongside future opportunities.”
The second stage of production facilities will include the development of a second production hall, an EMI/EMC chamber, and a finished product store.
Hudson said that so far, Hanwha Defence is delivering features well ahead of schedule, pointing to the efficient and productive manner in which capabilities are being delivered.
Stage one of production has so far seen expansive growth and was awarded the Excellence in Construction of Industrial Business at the 2025 Master Builders Victoria Awards.
“Working with the Hanwha team throughout the entire H-ACE journey has been professionally and personally rewarding,” said Brendan Bilston, CEO of Conscia, the primary management contractor of the H-ACE facility.
“It’s been a collaborative, open and enjoyable partnership from day one, and we’ve valued the trust they’ve placed in us throughout the journey.
“Witnessing these new facilities come to life alongside such committed and passionate people have been incredibly fulfilling for our team over the past five years.”
