Last week Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) unveiled the first three Australian-made AS9 Huntsman Self-Propelled Howizers (SPH) proudly made at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) in Geelong.
“Seeing the first Australian made AS9s come off the production line and drive their first laps around our test track is a milestone that we’re all very proud of,” said CEO of Hanwha Defence Australia and UK/ Europe.
GMC is proud to continue supporting Hanwha Defence Australia through a major partnership that cements the company’s support for local skills and supply chain development. HDA now employs more than 500 people at its $170 million Avalon facility and across Australia.
HDA’s Dean Michie said Geelong’s history of vehicle manufacturing was a key reason for locating in Geelong.
“Part of the reason we chose to build the H-ACE at the Avalon Airport Precinct in the Geelong region was to leverage that proud history, they were ready to bring that industry back,” he said.
The H-ACE facility is a key strategic asset for both Australia and South Korea with significant technology transfer that provides an ongoing foundation for future complex high value work.
H-ACE is Hanwha’s first overseas defence production facility and signals a deepening of ROK-Australia defence and economic ties, aligning with the Australian Government’s commitment to sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities and Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
A further supply contract with the Australian Army will deliver 129 locally made Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle units. Hanwha has said the armoured tanks will be manufactured at H-ACE after the delivery of prototype products in the first half of 2026.