Page 30 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep 2021

DEFENCE TASMANIA – SPONSORED CONTENT
TASMANIAN COMPANIES JOIN LAND 400 PHASE 3 BID
WHILE TASMANIA’S CAPABILITIES IN THE MARITIME SECTOR ARE WELL UNDERSTOOD, ITS CAPABILITIES IN THE LAND DOMAIN ARE NOW OF INTEREST TO SOUTH KOREAN GIANT HANWHA IN THEIR BID FOR LAND 400 PHASE 3 WITH ITS APTLY NAMED REDBACK VEHICLE.
It may surprise some to know that one of the nation’s most significant heavy vehicle manufacturing capabilities is found in and around Burnie, in the north west of the state.
Global OEM Elphinstone Pty Ltd (elphinstone.com) has proven an ideal partner for Hanwha as it focuses its bid, and the development of its Australian supply chain, for the final push to secure the prestigious multi-billion dollar program to replace our fleet of Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
Elphinstone specialises in the design, manufacture and support of heavy-duty vehicles for the global underground, surface mining and rail maintenance industries, and is ideally
as LAND 8116 Protected Mobile Fires. Hanwha is the sole source tenderer for the LAND 8116 program, providing the Huntsman Self-Propelled Howitzer and Armoured Ammunition Resupply vehicles.
CBG Systems is using its Solar∑Shield advanced mobile camouflage systems technology to make the Redback and Huntsman vehicle variants hard to see or detect with radar, providing a potentially decisive combat advantage against adversary detection and engagement systems.
The Solar∑Shield technology will also assist in managing the thermal signature and other heat transfer properties on Hanwha Defense Australia’s technologically advanced Redback and Huntsman family of vehicles.
“CBG Systems is proud to offer Solar∑Shield to Australia’s key defence projects and excited to be contributing to what is a highly advanced and integrated
suited to production of large the vehicle build.
Coupled with this capability
that has helped Elphinstone
from Burnie to international markets since 1975. In fact, together Elphinstone and Caterpillar have manufactured more than 5000 underground and surface mining vehicles from their collective facilities in Burnie over the past 40 years.
structures and components for
is the associated supply chain export several thousand vehicles
Executive Director, Kelly
Elphinstone said the company had designed and manufactured vehicles to operate in some of the harshest conditions and there are many synergies with the Hanwha product.
“Hanwha has worked hard to maximise Australian capability and content wherever possible and while we know the final vehicle assembly will occur in Geelong, Tasmania can still play a meaningful role in the program.” Ms Elphinstone said.
These sentiments are echoed in the south of Tasmania where innovative SME CBG Systems (www.cbgsystems.com) is already working with Hanwha.
Hanwha Defense Australia announced in May 2021 that its existing partnership with CBG Systems was being extended to include ongoing supply for LAND 400 Phase 3 as well
and much greater safety in high threat environments.”
Solar∑Shield technology was originally developed by
DRDC (Defence Research and Development Canada) and represents a clear example of the opportunity to develop further synergies and cooperation between the Canadian and Australian governments. Together with industry they can continue to develop advanced technologies for our countries’ defence forces.
LAND 400 Phase 3 is an $18-$27 billion project tasked to acquire a fleet of up to 450 Infantry Fighting Vehicles. LAND 8116 Phase 1 is a $0.9 billion-$1.3 billion project to acquire 30 self-propelled armoured artillery systems and 15 armoured resupply vehicles.
“Heavy vehicle manufacturers in Tasmania have been producing globally competitive products for decades with innovate solutions that are routinely the best on the market”.
solution for LAND 400 Phase 3,” Javier Herbon Managing Director of CBG Systems said.
“CBG’s mobile camouflage system provides signature management against visual, thermal, radar
and ultraviolet detection, and so provides a significant advantage