Hanwha achieves results after 5 years of first private development
Defense industry powerhouse beats the US, the UK and the US
Sequential supply of 129 units by 2028
Hanwha Group became the first in Korea to export the ‘Redback’ infantry fighting vehicle, developed by the private sector, to Australia worth 3 trillion won. This is an achievement achieved by beating prominent advanced countries in the defense industry, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, within five years of starting the project in 2018 without a single drawing.
Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 8th that it signed a main contract worth $2.4 billion (approximately KRW 3.138 trillion) between its Australian subsidiary and the Australian Ministry of Defense to supply 129 Redbacks, a futuristic tracked infantry fighting armored vehicle. Previously, in July, the Australian government selected the Redback as the preferred model for negotiation in the ‘LAND 400 Phase 3’ project, which is part of the military modernization policy. Under this contract, Hanwha Aerospace will sequentially supply 129 Redbacks to the Australian military by 2028. Production takes place at a local factory under construction in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The K9 self-propelled howitzer, which previously signed an export contract worth 1 trillion won with the Australian government in 2021, is also scheduled to be produced here.
Redback is the first case in which a private company independently researched and developed a weapon product that had not previously existed in Korea for export purposes and exported it to an advanced market. There is an assessment that the Korean defense industry has opened a new horizon as Hanwha won the Australian government’s military modernization project, beating out tank powerhouses Germany’s Rheinmetall, the U.S.’s General Dynamics, and Britain’s BAE Systems. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, “It is a splendid achievement that demonstrates the potential of Korea’s weapons system in the global defense industry market,” and “It is the result of multifaceted support at the pan-government level, centered on the National Security Office.”
Military reporter Sang-ho Yoon [email protected]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.