The first three vehicles under Army’s Land 8116 Phase 1 (Protected Mobile Fires) were ceremoniously handed over at Hanwha’s Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) on 27 February. This first batch consists of two AS-9 Huntsman Self-Propelled Howitzers and a single AS-10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV), all three of which were built in Korea and are now painted in Army markings. The full production order is for 30 AS-9s and 15 AS-10s and all remaining vehicles being manufactured at the H-ACE.
Guests at the ceremony included Korean Ambassador Admiral (retd) Seungseob Sim, CASG’s Head of Land Systems, Major General Jason Blain, Army’s Head of Land Capability, Major General Richard Vagg, and representatives from companies involved in the Huntsman’s supply chain. Minister for Defence Richard Marles spoke to the assembled guests and noted the importance of Australia’s close relationship with Korea. “As we look forward, we see our relationship with Korea front & centre in terms of our world view, in terms of our national security, and the Defence Industry component of that, which is underpinned by Hanwha and this facility here, is so important. To have high-tech manufacturing, which is what making military vehicles is, is exactly the kind of manufacturing we need in this country,” he said.
Dean Michie, Acting Managing Director of Hanwha Defence Australia, noted that three years ago, HDA employed seventeen people, and the H-ACE was an empty paddock at Avalon Airport. Now numbering over 400 people, 106 of whom work at H-ACE, HDA’s workforce will expand further as construction of the 129 Reback Infantry Fighting Vehicles commences for the Land 400 Phase 3 program.
During the event, representatives of HDA discussed the Huntsman’s features with ADM, including its ability to precisely deliver 155mm artillery rounds at long range while also introducing the ability to start moving to a new firing location before the shells have arrived at their targets. This helps avoid counter battery fire and is referred to as “shoot and scoot.” They observed that Huntsman represents a significant improvement over Army’s current M777 towed howitzers allowing faster set up, longer range, higher accuracy and faster relocation after firing, all with less crew required.
Some of the automated processes onboard the Huntsman were briefly demonstrated to ADM at the event by HDA staff who explained how, operating under the supervision of the crew, the systems ensure that the correct round is selected, loaded, and all safety checks are completed before firing. They noted that the system contributes to Huntsman’s ability to fire multiple rounds quickly before moving and also removes the manual handling issues associated with lifting and positioning heavy shells and charges. The reduction of manual effort also includes the process of resupplying the Huntsman via the AS-10 AARV, which allows new rounds to be loaded in the field via automated processes. This, in turn, reduces the time a howitzer must be away from its firing locations while also providing improved protection for crews of both vehicles during the process.
The original purchase of the Self-Propelled Howitzers was to have included two full regiments, each with 30 Huntsman and 15 AARV vehicles, however this was reduced to a single regiment following the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review in 2023. When asked if the government was still comfortable with the decision, Marles noted that difficult decisions had to be made about strategic objectives and that the focus is on force projection. “If we are talking about a capability that will only ever exist on the Australian continent, you have to have a question about that. What we are doing is aligning our procurement of this fantastic capability with our ability to transport it,” he said.