Korean owned Hanwha Defense Australia has signed a US$ 721M contract with the Commonwealth of Australia for the supply of its Huntsman AS9 self-propelled artillery system to Australia, a South Korean K9 Thunder 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer tailored for the Australian army. The contract signature was announced on December 13 by the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra. This is the first major defence acquisition by Australia from an Asian defence prime contractor.
The procurement is part of Defence project Land 8116 phase 1 which will see the acquisition of 30 AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers and 15 AS10 armoured resupply vehicles. This highly advanced new equipment will bring a genuine transformation to the Australian Army’s artillery capability.
The vehicles will be manufactured in Australia at a new Hanwha facility to be constructed in the Greater Geelong area of Victoria. “With Australia’s close proximity to Republic of Korea, and the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, Hanwha’s Australian facility will also become a critical and important secondary line of supply back to South Korea. The Australian operation also helps Hanwha fulfill contracts in other parts of the world and deliver capacity to engage with Five Eyes nations,” Mr Cho said.