Third Redback embarks for Australia

South Korean company Hanwha Defense has despatched its third and final AS21 Redback prototype IFV (pictured) to Australia for the Project Land 400 Phase 3 competition.

This vehicle will be officially delivered to the Australian Army in mid-January 2021, Hanwha announced on 20 December.

The third prototype was specially designed to withstand landmines, IEDs and other attacks on the underside of the vehicle.

The first two Redbacks were developed and built in less than 12 months under a A$50 million ($35.75 million) test and evaluation contract with the Australian Department of Defence.

Those vehicles arrived in Australia in August and are being assembled with a turret developed by Elbit Systems.

Land 400 Phase 3 is intended to introduce a new IFV to replace an ageing fleet of M113AS4 APCs in Australian service. Redback is competing the Rheinmetall KF41 Lynx IFV.

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Related Programmes in Defence Insight

Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

AS21 Redback