The Australian Army has completed sea transport trials of its new AS21 Redback, AS9 Huntsman, and AS10 armoured vehicles aboard the flagship landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra. Conducted in Sydney Harbour around Garden Island, the July evaluation involved repeated loading and unloading sequences using landing craft to verify compatibility with existing Royal Australian Navy sealift and amphibious equipment.
Colonel Marek Janiszewski, project director for the LAND 400 Phase 3 infantry fighting vehicle programme, stated that the trials confirmed the platforms’ deployability and interoperability for littoral operations. The integration tests form part of the largest capability recapitalisation for the Australian Army since the Second World War, supporting combined-arms modernization across land, littoral, and aviation domains, reported by Army News, the official newspaper of the Australian Army
The AS21 Redback is the core of the LAND 400 Phase 3 initiative, under which Canberra contracted Hanwha Aerospace in December 2023 for 129 vehicles valued at AUD 4.5 billion to replace ageing M113 personnel carriers. Production is anchored by local subsidiaries and Australian industry, with the first local deliveries scheduled for 2027. Additionally, under the AUD 1 billion LAND 8116 contract signed in December 2021, Australia procured 30 AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzers and 15 AS10 ammunition resupply vehicles. Sharing common chassis architecture, these systems are designed to expand the force’s mobile firepower and operational reach.
Janiszewski noted that the Redback provides a major operational uplift, combining modern protection and lethality to support forces in complex regional environments. “We are stepping forward in leaps and bounds with a new upgraded system to provide our soldiers the best ability to fight, succeed at their missions and come home safely to their families,” Janiszewski said.
