Hanwha Defense officially launches Redback IFV in Australia

South Korean company Hanwha Defense officially launched its Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in Australia on 12 January, prior to delivering three of the IFVs for a Risk Mitigation Activity (RMA) in which the Redback will compete with Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 IFV for an Australian Army requirement valued at AUD18–27 billion (USD13.9–20.8 billion).

Hanwha Defense officially launched its Redback IFV (seen here in Australian Army camouflage) in Australia on 12 January. (Hanwha Defense Australia)

Project Land 400 Phase 3, also known as the Mounted Close Combat Capability, is meant to deliver and support up to 450 tracked IFVs and 17 manoeuvre support vehicles that will be built in Australia. These will replace the army’s obsolescent M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) which, although upgraded in recent years, date from the mid-1960s.

All three Redbacks will be formally handed to over the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) on 13 January for detailed testing and evaluation related to lethality, blast, and ballistics, including destructive testing of one vehicle to assess survivability, as well as mobility and support.

In October the project will move to a final evaluation phase and the downselection of a preferred tenderer. This is expected to be presented to the government in Canberra for consideration in 2022.

Initial operating capability (IOC) of the selected platform is set for 2024–25, while final operating capability (FOC) is anticipated by 2030–31, although movement on this timeline is possible.

A Rheinmetall spokesperson told Janes that the Lynx destined for blast testing was delivered to the DoD in November 2020. The other two RMA vehicles are to be handed over on 15 January.