Australian Land 8116 howitzer conducts test firing
The K9 fires ADF rounds at Anheung Proving Ground in South Korea. (Photo: Hanwha)
Hanwha has successfully completed the first stage of Land 8116 Protected Mobile Fires Ordnance Integration Testing, marking a milestone in artillery system integration for the Australian Defence Force.
The Australian Army’s Project Land 8116 Phase 1 passed a major milestone last month with the live firing of Australian Defence Force 155mm rounds from a K9A1 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) and additional tests will take place from August.
Land 8116 Phase 1 is a A$960 million ($636 million) contract awarded to Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) in September 2020. It will provide Australia with protected mobile fires capability and, for the first time, an SPH platform to replace towed systems currently in use.
The June tests took place in Anheung Proving Ground in South Korea and involved two different types of munition. Next month’s trials will take place at the Joint Proof Experimental Unit Port Wakefield in South Australia before tests in Yuma Proving Ground in the US.
Related Articles
Australia selects its first ever SPH platform
Australia inks its largest ever Asian military contract
Last month’s test programme involved collaboration between HDA and parent company, Hanwha Aerospace, as well as Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group and Korean government officials, including from the Agency for Defense Development.
According to the company, this is the first time that the integration of ADF 155mm munitions into an artillery system has been led by the weapon system prime systems integrator.
Platform production is expected to begin in Australia late in 2024. A second regiment of 30 SPHs and 15 ammunition resupply vehicles is expected to be procured in the late 2020s under Project Land 8116 Phase 2, while Phase 3 will implement an upgrade programme for the SPHs in the mid-2030s.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement]()
British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement
The UK Ministry of Defence has avoided being prescriptive in its search to replace the British Army’s Land Rover, meaning vehicle types being offered range from Land Rover Defender Wolf II and Humvee to the hybrid series Fering Pioneer. What does this mean for the procurement process?
-
![DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return]()
DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return
The introduction of Ajax vehicles into British Army service was stopped after operator health issues were reported during an exercise, but manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems UK believes work over the past 10 months has dealt with the problems.
-
![MAAF to test Britain’s shift from armour to distributed lethality in Estonia]()
MAAF to test Britain’s shift from armour to distributed lethality in Estonia
The bilateral agreement between the UK and Estonia comes as both countries explore how dispersed troops, drones, digital targeting, anti-tank weapons and increasingly long-range fires can complement the combat mass traditionally provided by heavy armour.
