Page 33 - Australian Defence Magazine July 2019
P. 33

ing the Greater Geelong Area, claiming the deal would add 350 jobs to a region, which has recently been devastated by the loss of the Australian motor vehicle industry.
“We will acquire 30 self-propelled how- itzers and their supporting systems, and we will build them and maintain them in Gee- long, drawing on the large manufacturing skills base in the region,” Morrison said.
“By reviving this project (which was can- celled under Labor), we will deliver the Army the capability it needs. By building it in Austra- lia, we will create up to 350 jobs as part of grow- ing our defence industry across the nation.”
Then-Minister for Defence Industry Lin- da Reynolds added that the howitzers will be acquired by bringing forward a Defence acquisition program, known as Protected Mobile Fires, to begin working in Geelong by the end of the 2022-2023 financial year.
The 30 vehicles will be acquired under Defence’s ‘Smart Buyer’ framework.
Hanwha Defence Australia
Hanwha Defence Australia is one of the current bidders for Army’s $15 billion Land
11th InternatIonal ConferenCe on
Managing Fatigue
fremantle, Western australia
16-19 March 2020
400 Phase 3 (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) project and is bidding its AS21 Redback vehicle, which it will build in Geelong if successful.
Speaking at the launch
of its industry team for
Land 400 Phase 3 in
Melbourne in late May,
Hanwha Defence Australia’s managing di- rector Richard Cho revealed his company had made an unsolicited offer to Defence for production of 30 AS-9 self-propelled howitzers and 15 K-10 ammunition resup- ply vehicles at the end of 2018, which it also proposed to assemble in Geelong.
“I think the notion of our unsolicited proposal started the process. Ultimate- ly, I think there has been a need within the Australian Defence Department for a self-propelled gun capability. So, I guess it wasn’t just our offer, but the need,” he said.
Cho said the Hanwha proposal is inde- pendent of whether it is successful for Land
Breakoutbody noindent xxxx xxxx x xx x xxxx xxx xxx xxx.
Breakoutbody xxxx xxxx x xx x xxxx xxx xxx xxx.
research and practice in transportation, resources and health
www.fatigueconference2020.com.au
BREAKOUT HEAD
KATHERINE ZIESING | CANBERRA
“Hanwha is very much committed to establishing a true self-reliance capability within Australia.”
400 Phase 3, but this time it intends to be the prime contractor for the AS-9 offer.
“If there is an opportunity, we would not shy away from working with Raytheon. However, our ability to deliver self-reliance to Australia is of paramount importance to us. To do that, it would be difficult for us to have a third-party nation to be a prime,” he added.
At the recent teaming event, Hanwha Defence CEO Sunsoong Lee told ADM that the company was “very much com- mitted” to establishing a true self-reliance capability within Australia, working closely with the industrial base in Victoria and the Greater Geelong area, for Land 400.
www.australiandefence.com.au | July 2019 | 33


































































































   31   32   33   34   35