Page 99 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec19-Jan20

DECEMBER 2019 – JANUARY 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
PROJECTS LAND 99
tenderer, which is expected to be presented to the govern- ment for consideration in 2022.
Initial operating capability of the selected platform is scheduled for 2024-2025, while final operating capability is anticipated by 2030-31.
For Land 400 Phase 3 Rheinmetall has leveraged some of the work already undertaken successfully for Phase 2, including equipping the Lynx KF41 with a number of systems common with the Boxer CRV, including the digital Lance 2.0 turret.
Other common systems include dual SPIKE long-range anti-tank guided missiles, the EOS R400 Mk 2 RWS, and the Israeli Iron Fist active protection system.
As configured for urban operations at a combat weight of 48 tonnes and accommodating three crew and eight infantry, the Lynx KF41 retains two tonnes of spare payload capacity for the future installation of add-on armour and other systems.
Impressive as it is, the Lynx has yet to secure a launch customer. The joint Raytheon-Rheinmetall Land Systems entry of Lynx for the US Army’s Optionally Manned Fight- ing Vehicle (OMFV) prototyping contract for the M2 Brad-
ABOVE: The first Boxer to come off the German line has been delivered to Australia.
OPPOSITE PAGE: a range of Australian SMEs are looking for work on the various phases of Land 400.
ley Fighting Vehicle replacement was disqualified in Octo- ber when the bid sample was not submitted on time.
October also saw the unveiling of the AS21 Redback IFV pro- totype at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhi- bition in a ceremony whose significance was underlined by the presence of South Korea’s Prime Minister and Defence Minister.
The Redback is a heavily upgraded version of the K21 IFV which has been in service with the South Korean army since 2009. The Redback weighs 42 tonnes, can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h, and is being offered with the T2000 two-man, 30mm turret developed by Canberra company Electro-Optic Systems in close collaboration with Israel’s Elbit Systems.
Other features include an Elbit ‘see-through’ armour sys- tem, a 360deg laser warning system and an unmanned air- craft system (UAS) management port for UAS deployment, as well as counter-UAS systems using the radar of the IFV’s Iron Fist active protection system.
In line with the company’s intention to substantially ex- pand its international profile by the mid-2020s, Hanwha undertook in May to establish a self-reliant manufacturing base for the Redback at Geelong.
SPH
This facility would also be used to manufacture the com- pany’s K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) should that be selected for the Land 8112 Protected Mobility Fires
RHEINMETALL