The Australian Government have chosen the Hanwha-led Team Redback to deliver the new Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).
Team Redback member Elbit Systems announced 16 August that the AS21 Redback had been downselected in the Australian LAND 400 Phase 3 project as the preferred tenderer, with final Government approval being sought for the conclusion of contract negotiations.
The Redback design has beaten out its competition at this stage from Rheinmetall’s Lynx, which had also progressed to the final stages of the selection in 2019, when it was assessed that the two competitors were best able to meet the requirements with a value for money solution.
The LAND 400 Phase 3, also known as the Mounted Close Combat Capability requirement, sought to acquire 450 IFVs and 17 manoeuvre support vehicles for the Australian Army, at a cost of A$15bn ($9.6bn), but this was cut to 129 IFVs in the latest Defence Strategic Review. The chosen Redback IFV will sustain mounted close combat operations against emerging and future threats as part of a joint force, and satisfies the preference for a tracked vehicle with a manned turret.
The IFV will replace the current M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers that have have been in service with the Australian Army since the 1960’s.
The AS21 Redback is an advanced fighting vehicle, first unveiled at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition in 2019 by Hanwha as a proposal for the Australian Army. The tracked IFV is designed for improved mobility and protection, with the capacity to transport eight personnel in addition to a three-person crew.
The original Redback prototype featured a Bushmaster MK44S 30mm canon and MAG 58 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, mounted on a T2000 turret from Australian contractor Electro Optic Systems, which in this iteration has been integrated with Elbit’s latest generation of 30mm manned turret.
Elbit are also providing the Redback with Iron Fist active protection system, Iron Vision situational awareness with a sophisticated head mounted display system, and Elbit Systems’ ELAWS laser warning system.
