The AS10 AARV (left) and one of two AS9 SPHs that were formally delivered to the Australian Army on 27 February at Hanwha Defence Australia's facility in Avalon near Melbourne. (Commonwealth of Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has announced the official handover of an initial batch of Hanwha Aerospace Huntsman vehicles to the Australian Army and the start of local production of the same platform.
The DoD said on 27 February that Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) – the local subsidiary of South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace – delivered the first two AS9 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and one AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle (AARV) to the Australian Army. The vehicles, known collectively as ‘Huntsman', were built by Hanwha Aerospace at its facility in Changwon, South Korea.
The DoD also announced the start of Huntsman vehicle production at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) in Avalon, Geelong, near Melbourne. This facility will build 28 AS9 SPHs and 14 AS10s over the coming three years, fulfilling a AUD1 billion (USD622 million) contract for a total of 30 AS9s and 15 AS10s the DoD signed with Hanwha Aerospace in 2021.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the vehicle's handover and start of local production, Australia's Minister for Defence Richard Marles said all the contracted vehicles will be supplied to the Australian Army “during 2026 and 2027”. In service with the army, the Huntsman vehicles will replace the service's M777 towed howitzer, which has been operational since the 1990s.
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