Penske and Hanwha join efforts for LAND 400 Phase 3 bid
The AS21 Redback is based on the K21 IFV hull. (Photo: Hanwha)
Penske Australia will assemble engines and transmissions and integrate them locally into complete power packs for the Hanwha’s AS21 Redback vehicles.
Penske Australia and Hanwha are joining efforts to produce AS21 Redback IFVs aiming at the Australian LAND 400 Phase 3 programme.
Under the cooperation agreement, Penske Australia will assemble MTU engines and Allison transmissions and integrate them locally into complete power packs for the Redback vehicle if it is selected for service in the Australian Defence Force.
Penske will also embed a team of technicians within Hanwha’s manufacturing facility to support assembly and integration.
The 1,000hp eight-cylinder MTU MT881Ka-500 diesel engines will be built and tested locally enabling in-country sustainment by Penske Australia under a technology transfer agreement with STX Engine of South Korea, which has localised and modified the engine over several decades.
The MTU engine variant for the Redback is the same as used in Hanwha’s K9 SPH. It is a water-cooled, twin-turbo, four-stroke, direct-injection intercooled diesel.
In a similar arrangement, Penske will also carry out local assembly and testing of the Allison X1100 series cross-drive transmission under licence using kits supplied by South Korea's SNT Dynamics.
The Allison variant selected for the Redback is a cross-drive transmission with proven technology, operational in Hanwha’s K9 as well as the X1100 series transmission fitted to the M1A1 MBT.
Penske Australia’s assembly of the Redback’s transmission will also allow establishment of a maintenance hub for other X1100 Allison cross-drive units users locally and internationally.
The Redback IFV is competing in an ongoing tender process for Project LAND 400 Phase 3, an $18-27 billion project to acquire up to 450 IFVs.
Team Redback also includes Elbit Land Systems, EOS Defence Systems, Bisalloy Steels, ECLIPS Logistics, Soucy Defense, Milspec Manufacturing, CBG Systems and ANCA.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, Redback was unveiled in 2018 and is based on the K21 IFV hull used by the Republic of Korea Army.
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