How South Korea’s Hanwha expands Australian defense programs via Geelong hub.

Hanwha Defence Australia is using its Geelong Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence to speed Redback IFV and AS9 Huntsman programs while broadening into exports and partnerships, with batches already in-country for testing and integration. The plan pairs rapid fielding with a dense local supply chain so Canberra can scale deliveries through the late 2020s under accelerated timelines from the Defence Strategic Review.

Backed by parent capacity in the Republic of Korea and a now-operational Geelong plant, Hanwha is moving beyond simple assembly to a multi-domain Australian footprint, from Redback IFVs and Huntsman artillery to potential maritime ties through Austal. Government and company updates show first Huntsman vehicles presented at H-ACE, additional batches arriving for acceptance work, and stage-two buildout to support the full 129-vehicle Redback order. The company says the model is straightforward, with fast entry into service, local content at scale, and production cadence that mirrors Seoul’s on-time delivery culture.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Australia has ordered 129 AS21 Redbacks, 30 AS9 Huntsman 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzers, and 15 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles, with batches already delivered for testing and integration (Picture source: Australian MoD)

The bet rests on concrete progress at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence near Geelong. Australia has ordered 129 AS21 Redbacks, 30 AS9 Huntsman 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzers, and 15 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles, with batches already delivered for testing and integration. The first AS9s and AS10s were presented this year at H-ACE; several vehicles are running on the local track for system checks and acceptance. The schedule remains compressed, with deliveries through 2028 under government acceleration, a pace consistent with Seoul’s practice of producing at cadence and on time.

In practical firing terms, the AS9 retains the K9 family’s 155 mm/52 gun, with a typical range of about 40 km and effects pushed to roughly 60 km with dedicated ammunition. The system executes short bursts under EMCON and then displaces quickly to break the counter-battery cycle. On the infantry side, Redback fields the T2000 turret with a 30×173 mm Mk44S Bushmaster II, fuze programming for proximity and airburst, and a twin Spike LR2 launcher for beyond-line-of-sight anti-armour shots linked to the unit’s RMP/COP. These are proven technical choices and the reason Canberra selected the systems.

Hanwha has built an Australian supplier network that runs from hull and turret fabrication in Tasmania to integration in Victoria, while electronics, software, and subsystems come from a mix of local and allied partners. Official updates from Canberra note extensive qualification of the weapon system with in-service and future ammunition at Port Wakefield, a reminder that range and rate of fire matter only with safety margins and repeatable accuracy. The industrial model aims to avoid stop-start cycles by keeping lines active for upgrades, depot-level repair, and export variants.

Operationally, the package aligns with the current combined-arms doctrine. A Redback section carries eight dismounts under armour, pushes a clean digital picture through the network, and engages close-in and mid-range threats with the Mk44S and Spike LR2 while maintaining an armoured formation’s tempo. Huntsman batteries then deliver mobile deep fires against enemy artillery, C2 nodes, and logistics points, exploiting shoot-and-scoot envelopes to survive counter-fire shaped by drones, passive sensors, and contested EW. The combined effect is direct: faster sensor-to-shooter chains and higher lethality per minute without trading away survivability or interoperability on Five Eyes ammunition and data link standards.

Hanwha is also testing options beyond land systems. The group acquired 9.9 percent of Austal earlier this year and has requested approval to lift that to 19.9 percent, a move that would link an Australian shipbuilder with a strong U.S. presence to a Korean conglomerate that owns Philly Shipyard. U.S. authorities have cleared some steps; Canberra is still assessing. The trend is clear: vertical integration across land, shipbuilding, and C4I to build robust supply chains and options for export assembly in Australia.

Seoul and Canberra share an Indo-Pacific reading in which time and capacity are central. Australia seeks mass, speed, and sovereign sustainment; South Korea brings manufacturing capacity and a record of delivery at pace. Several think tanks assess that this complementarity remains underused and suitable for expansion into guided weapons, air defence, and maritime programs. If Hanwha turns H-ACE into a genuine multi-domestic node and secures stable demand signals, Australia’s defence industry could move from episodic procurement to a standing production ecosystem. The downstream effect on allied planning would include easing U.S. and NATO bottlenecks, strengthening the industrial base, and prompting regional actors to hedge against faster Australian rearmament. The stakes extend from Canberra’s spreadsheets to the regional balance of power.