Land Forces 2026: Hanwha Looks Beyond Australia’s Current Armoured Vehicle Programmes

Key Points

• Hanwha Defence Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Milrem Robotics to pursue the THeMIS tracked unmanned ground vehicle in Australia and the wider region.
• A THeMIS vehicle purchased by Hanwha is expected to participate in trials with the Australian Army’s 1st Armoured Regiment.
• Hanwha says the agreement could support local production, an Australian supply chain, domestic maintenance and upgrades, and integration of payloads and subsystems.
• Hanwha is also considering the integration of Milrem’s Intelligent Function Integration Kit with crewed platforms such as the AS9 Huntsman and AS21 Redback.
• The company displayed its ARION-SMET 6×6 unmanned ground vehicle at Land Forces 2026 after the system secured a contract with the Republic of Korea Army.
• Hanwha Defence Australia says all 45 AS9 self-propelled howitzers and AS10 ammunition resupply vehicles ordered by Australia are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027.
• Australia’s 129 AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2028, after the original planned order of 450 vehicles was reduced.
• Hanwha expects its H-ACE facility workforce to reach about 600–650 employees during peak Redback production.
• The company is considering future uses for H-ACE, including export production, foreign variants and sustainment work after current Australian programmes conclude.
• Hanwha is also pursuing opportunities in Australia’s Project Land 6504 medium-range ground-based air defence programme, guided weapons and explosive ordnance, and counter-drone systems.

Australian News Today (ANT) October 8, 2026 – Hanwha Defence Australia is looking beyond its existing Australian armoured vehicle programmes as production of the AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer, AS10 ammunition resupply vehicle and AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicle moves towards completion. The company is expanding its focus towards unmanned ground vehicles, air defence, munitions and counter-drone capabilities while seeking further uses for its Australian production infrastructure.

The development was highlighted at Land Forces 2026 in Perth, Western Australia, where Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) signed a memorandum of understanding with Milrem Robotics on October 7. The agreement provides a framework for HDA to market, pursue local production, sell and sustain Milrem’s THeMIS tracked unmanned ground vehicle in Australia and the wider region.

According to the supplied report by Asian Military Review, Hanwha Defence Australia has purchased a THeMIS vehicle from Milrem Robotics, with the system expected to take part in trials involving the Australian Army’s 1st Armoured Regiment.

The agreement marks a move beyond Hanwha’s current concentration on crewed armoured platforms and artillery systems in Australia. It also gives the company a potential route into the country’s emerging unmanned ground vehicle market while using the industrial capabilities it has developed through existing defence programmes.

What does Hanwha’s agreement with Milrem Robotics involve?

The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for Hanwha Defence Australia to pursue several activities around the THeMIS platform, including local marketing, production, sales and sustainment.

Hanwha said the arrangement includes developing an Australian supply chain and establishing local maintenance and upgrade capabilities. The company also intends to integrate payloads and subsystems according to the requirements of customers in Australia and the wider region.

The THeMIS is a tracked unmanned ground vehicle designed for different mission configurations. Its potential use alongside Australia’s existing armoured force provides Hanwha with an opportunity to explore how autonomous or remotely operated systems could complement crewed vehicles.

The THeMIS acquired by HDA is expected to participate in trials with the Australian Army’s 1st Armoured Regiment. Those trials will provide an opportunity to assess the vehicle in an Australian military environment rather than limiting the company’s interest to exhibition and demonstration activities.

The agreement also creates a potential connection between Milrem’s unmanned technology and Hanwha’s existing armoured vehicle portfolio.

How could unmanned technology be integrated with Hanwha’s armoured vehicles?

Hanwha has indicated that there is an option to integrate Milrem’s Intelligent Function Integration Kit with other Hanwha crewed platforms.

The systems specifically identified include the AS9 Huntsman and AS21 Redback. Such integration could allow Hanwha to examine how unmanned functions and autonomous technologies might operate alongside crewed armoured vehicles.

The significance of this approach is linked to Hanwha’s broader effort to maintain activity at its Australian industrial facilities after current vehicle production programmes reach completion.

Rather than treating unmanned ground vehicles as an entirely separate product line, the company is examining their possible relationship with platforms already being manufactured and supported in Australia.

What is Hanwha’s ARION-SMET unmanned ground vehicle?

At Land Forces 2026, HDA also exhibited an example of its ARION-SMET 6×6 unmanned ground vehicle.

The vehicle has recently secured a contract from the Republic of Korea Army. The supplied report states that the contract is believed to involve approximately 40 vehicles.

Hanwha believes the ARION-SMET could also have applications in Australia. Its appearance at Land Forces 2026 therefore provided another indication that unmanned systems are becoming part of the company’s broader Australian product strategy.

The ARION-SMET and THeMIS represent different approaches to unmanned ground capability, giving Hanwha more than one potential route into the Australian market.

How is production of the AS9 Huntsman progressing in Australia?

Hanwha Defence Australia’s existing production programme remains centred on the AS9 Huntsman and AS10 ammunition resupply vehicle at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) in Australia.

According to an HDA spokesperson quoted by Asian Military Review, three South Korean-built vehicles have been delivered as part of the first batch, alongside six Australian-manufactured units.

The programme covers 45 AS9s and AS10s in total, with all vehicles scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027.

The Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade received its first 48-tonne AS9 in May 2026. By the end of 2027, three batteries of the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery are expected to operate six AS9s and three AS10s each.

This represents a change from the regiment’s previous structure, in which each battery operated four M777A2 towed howitzers.

Brigadier Ben McLennan, commander of the 3rd Brigade, said the change would increase capability, firepower, mobility and protection by at least 300%.

The AS9 programme therefore remains an important element of Australia’s transition towards a more mobile self-propelled artillery capability.

When will Australia receive all of its AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles?

The second major Hanwha vehicle programme in Australia is the AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicle.

All 129 Redbacks are scheduled to be handed over to the Australian Army by the end of 2028.

Eight prototype vehicles were manufactured in South Korea as part of a risk-reduction activity. Those vehicles are currently undergoing trials in Australia and South Korea.

Full series production is scheduled to begin at H-ACE before the end of 2026. A second production hall is also being fitted out as the Australian manufacturing programme moves towards its expected peak.

Hanwha expects the H-ACE workforce to reach approximately 600–650 employees during the height of Redback production.

The scale of the programme demonstrates the industrial infrastructure that has been established in Australia around Hanwha’s armoured vehicle activities.

What will happen to H-ACE after the current vehicle programmes end?

The future of H-ACE is one of the central issues facing Hanwha as the AS9 and AS21 programmes progress towards completion.

The current production schedules mean that the AS9 and AS10 programme is due to conclude by the end of 2027, while Redback deliveries are scheduled to finish by the end of 2028.

Asked what could happen to the two H-ACE production halls after the existing projects conclude, an HDA spokesperson identified several possibilities.

These include production for export, manufacturing foreign variants and continued sustainment work for the fleets already delivered to Australia.

The company therefore does not view H-ACE simply as a temporary facility created for two Australian acquisition programmes.

Instead, Hanwha regards the site as a strategic industrial asset that could support future defence manufacturing and sustainment activities.

Why does Hanwha regard H-ACE as a strategic asset?

Hanwha views H-ACE as providing South Korea with an alternative production facility outside the Korean Peninsula.

That consideration gives the Australian facility a role beyond its immediate contribution to Australia’s armoured vehicle fleet. A functioning production centre overseas can provide additional industrial capacity while also supporting Australia’s own sovereign manufacturing objectives.

Another important component of H-ACE is its electromagnetic interference and compatibility chamber.

According to the supplied report, the facility is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It is already attracting interest from external companies that want to use the chamber to test their own platforms.

This makes the facility a broader defence-industry asset rather than solely a manufacturing location for Hanwha’s vehicles.

Could Australia consider additional Redback variants?

Australia originally planned to acquire 450 Redbacks but ultimately reduced the order to 129 vehicles.

The reduced programme also resulted in a decision to field only two variants: an infantry fighting vehicle and a joint-fires variant.

However, the supplied report states that there is hope that other variants could eventually be of interest to the Australian Army.

Any future requirement for additional Redback configurations would potentially provide another avenue for maintaining industrial activity around the platform.

The present programme, however, remains focused on delivering the 129 vehicles already ordered.

Is Hanwha targeting Australia’s medium-range air defence programme?

Hanwha Defence Australia is also interested in Australia’s medium-range ground-based air defence programme, known as Project Land 6504.

The company considers its L-SAM system to be a suitable solution for the requirement.

L-SAM is due to become operational in South Korea, while a more capable Block 2 version is already under development.

The company’s interest in Project Land 6504 demonstrates the broader range of capabilities Hanwha is seeking to offer to Australia beyond armoured vehicles and artillery.

For HDA, participation in a future air-defence programme could also provide another potential area of activity as the current vehicle production programmes approach their scheduled completion.

How could Hanwha support Australia’s guided weapons and munitions ambitions?

Munitions are another area in which Hanwha has established production capabilities.

The company is a major producer of munitions in South Korea and has indicated that it is prepared to support Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise.

Australia is seeking to advance sovereign capabilities in guided weapons and explosive ordnance, creating a potential area of cooperation between Australian defence requirements and Hanwha’s existing industrial capabilities.

The precise future scale of Hanwha’s involvement will depend on Australian requirements and programme decisions.

Nevertheless, its existing manufacturing base gives the company a relevant position as Australia develops its domestic defence-industrial capacity.

What role could Hanwha play in counter-drone systems?

Counter-drone technology is another area being explored by Hanwha.

The company has several solutions available, and some were displayed at Land Forces 2026 in scale-model form.

The inclusion of counter-drone systems alongside unmanned ground vehicles, artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence reflects the wider range of capabilities Hanwha is presenting to the Australian market.

For Australia, countering unmanned aerial systems has become an increasingly relevant defence requirement, while for Hanwha it represents another potential product category that could contribute to future business beyond the existing armoured vehicle programmes.

What does Hanwha’s expansion mean for Australia’s defence industry?

Hanwha’s activity at Land Forces 2026 indicates that the company’s Australian presence is moving beyond a narrowly defined vehicle-production role.

The AS9, AS10 and AS21 programmes have established production, testing, maintenance and workforce capabilities at H-ACE. Hanwha is now examining whether those capabilities can support additional products and programmes.

The MoU with Milrem Robotics is particularly relevant because it introduces the prospect of local production and sustainment for an unmanned ground vehicle while potentially linking autonomous technology with existing crewed platforms.

At the same time, HDA’s interest in Project Land 6504, munitions and counter-drone systems broadens the potential areas in which the company could participate.

These developments do not represent confirmed Australian procurement decisions for every system discussed. They indicate areas in which Hanwha is positioning itself and seeking opportunities.

What is the background to Hanwha’s Australian defence expansion?

Hanwha’s Australian expansion has developed around the country’s acquisition of the AS9 Huntsman, AS10 ammunition resupply vehicles and AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles.

The establishment of H-ACE created an Australian manufacturing base capable of producing complex armoured vehicles. The AS9 and AS10 programmes are scheduled to conclude by the end of 2027, while the 129-vehicle Redback programme is scheduled to run through the end of 2028.

The reduction of Australia’s Redback order from 450 to 129 vehicles changed the long-term production outlook for the platform in Australia. Consequently, Hanwha is assessing other opportunities that could maintain activity at H-ACE.

The company’s approach now includes unmanned ground vehicles, air defence, munitions and counter-drone technologies, while sustainment of the existing Australian fleets is expected to remain part of its future activity.

The MoU with Milrem Robotics is therefore part of a wider effort to develop additional defence-industrial opportunities in Australia and the surrounding region.

What could Hanwha’s expansion mean for Australia’s defence industry in the future?

For Australian defence industry stakeholders, Hanwha’s strategy could create opportunities for additional local manufacturing, maintenance, supply-chain participation and technical work if proposed programmes progress to contracts.

The THeMIS agreement provides a specific framework for exploring local production and sustainment, while H-ACE could potentially support export manufacturing, foreign variants and ongoing fleet support.

For the Australian Army, the immediate focus remains on receiving the AS9, AS10 and AS21 vehicles according to their established delivery schedules. Future interest in unmanned systems, additional Redback variants, medium-range air defence, munitions and counter-drone capabilities would depend on formal requirements, trials and procurement decisions.