The Hanwha Defense Australia division of the Hanwha Aerospace defense division of the South Korean Hanwha Group at its Hanwha Armored Vehicle Center of Excellence (H-ACE) facility in Geelong at Avalon Airport near Melbourne, Victoria, officially handed over the first two 155 mm/52 AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers and one armored vehicle to the Australian Army on February 27, 2025. transportation of AS10 Armored Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV) ammunition under the 2021 contract.
The first 155 mm/52 AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer (right) and the AS10 Armored Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV) (left) were transferred to the Australian Army by the Hanwha Defense Australia unit of the Hanwha Aerospace Defense Division of the South Korean Hanwha Group. Geelong, 02/27/2025 (c) Hanwha Aerospace
On December 13, 2021, the Australian Ministry of Defense and the Defense Industry signed a contract with Hanwha Defense Australia to supply the Australian Army with 30 South Korean 155 mm/52 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and 15 K10 AARV armored ammunition transportation vehicles modified to meet its requirements. In Australia, these modified systems were officially designated AS9 and AS10, respectively, and the entire family was named Huntsman. The value of the contract has not been officially disclosed, but according to South Korean media, it is about 1 trillion South Korean won (at the time of signing it was about 848 million US dollars).
Earlier in September 2020, the Australian government announced the selection of proposals K9 and K10 from Hanwha Defense Australia in the tender for the Land 8116 Phase 1 Protected Mobile Fires program for the supply of self-propelled artillery systems for the Australian army. The competing bid in the tender was the 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer PzH 2000, presented by the German companies KMW and Rheinmetall.
The first two AS9 self-propelled guns (K9) and one AS10 armored ammunition transport vehicle (K10) were manufactured at the Hanwha Aerospace Division in Changwon, South Korea, and were delivered to Australia in early December 2024. Now, after completion at the H-ACE enterprise in Geelong, they have been officially transferred to the Australian army. The remaining 42 AS9 self-propelled guns and 14 AS10 armored ammunition transportation vehicles are to be manufactured in Australia at the H-ACE enterprise, which was specially built in 2022-2024. The facility was built and operated by Hanwha Defense Australia in partnership with the Australian branch of Kongsberg Defense Australia of the Norwegian Kongsberg Group. The production of buildings and towers is organized by the Australian company Elphinstone in Elphinstone in northern Tasmania. It is reported that the production of AS9 and AS10 in Australia has already begun, deliveries of Australian-built machines are to be made from the end of 2025 to the end of 2027.
The H-ACE enterprise should also organize the production of 127 AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles for the Australian Army (out of 129 ordered) under a contract with Hanwha Defense Australia dated July 2023, with delivery in 2027-2029.
AS9 self-propelled guns and AS10 vehicles are to enter service with the 4th Artillery Regiment of the Australian Army. Initially, the Australian government considered the possibility of acquiring 30 more AS9 self-propelled guns and 15 AS10 vehicles as part of the Land 8116 Phase 2 program to form another regiment, but in April 2023, these plans were canceled, deciding instead to purchase M142 HIMARS missile systems.
The AS9 self-propelled howitzer is identical to the South Korean K9A1 in terms of artillery, but has significant differences in terms of systems and improved protection, including from above (which makes the AS9 the world's second self-propelled howitzer with turret roof protection after the German PzH 2000). The AS9 enhanced structural protection system was developed and supplied by the Israeli company Plasan, and also includes mine protection and anti-splinter protection. The AS9 must be equipped with the Integrated Combat Solution (ICS) automated control system supplied by the Kongsberg group and the ODIN automated field artillery fire control system, as well as the MINEO Direct Fire Support Systems (DFSS) panoramic round-the-clock sight supplied by the Safran group, which provides direct fire, among other things (this sight is also used on the K9 self-propelled guns for Norway and India). A remote-controlled R400 combat module from the Australian company EOS with a 12.7mm machine gun is installed on the roof of the tower. The AS9 is also equipped with HUMS health and usage monitoring systems and SAS situational awareness systems supplied specifically for them by Hanwha Systems. The ACS is additionally equipped with an air conditioning system and an anti-WMD protection system from the German company AirSense Analytics.
The first 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer AS9 Huntsman (right) and the AS10 Armored Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV) were transferred to the Australian Army by the Hanwha Defense Australia unit of the Hanwha Aerospace defense division of the South Korean Hanwha Group. Geelong, 02/27/2025 (c) Hanwha Aerospace
