The two shortlisted contenders for Australia’s AUD18.1–27.1 billion (USD14–21 billion) infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) requirement have delivered a total of six prototype platforms for risk mitigation activities (RMAs), Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds announced on 13 February.
Two of the three vehicles each handed over to the Department of Defence (DoD) by Hanwha Defense Australia and Rheinmetall Defence Australia will be used for test and evaluation activities with a particular focus on armour, firepower, and mobility, the minister said in a statement, noting that the third vehicle will undergo blast testing to assess survivability.
The Australian DoD announced on 13 February that it had received three Lynx KF41 (top) and three Hanwha Defense Redback (bottom) IFV prototypes that will compete in test and evaluation trials as part of RMAs under the Australian Army's Land 400 Phase 3 programme. (Via Australian DoD)
The RMAs are also meant to analyse each vehicle’s ability to integrate with other major Australian Defence Force land, sea, and air capabilities, including amphibious lift, added the minister.
Under Project Land 400 Phase 3, also known as the Mounted Close Combat Capability requirement, Hanwha is offering its Redback IFV in competition with Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 IFV to provide 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.
In October 2021 the project will move to a final evaluation phase and downselection of a preferred tenderer by Canberra in 2022.
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