Northrop Grumman partners with Hanwha Defense Australia to add Bushmaster gun to Redback IFV
The Australian Army purchased 129 AS21 Redback IFVs in December 2023. (Photo: Hanwha Defense Australia)
First unveiled in scale model in 2018, the AS21 Redback is a tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) selected for the Australian Army's Land 400 Phase 3. It has been based on the K21 IFV hull used by the South Korean Army.
Northrop Grumman will begin initial deliveries in 2026 of its Mk44 Stretch Bushmaster Chain Guns (Mk44S) for installation on Hanwha Defense Australia Redback IFV which are destined for the Australian Army under Land 400 Phase 3 programme.
The contract for the production of 129 Mk44s, which is interoperable with Northrop Grumman’s advanced ammunition suite developed for the US Army, will include the new programmable air burst munition to provide Australia with advanced ammunition technology.
The advanced ammunition suite will include the multifunction airburst munition, and armour piercing and proximity fuzed ammunition, allowing crewmembers to defeat a broad range of ground and aerial threats by selecting the optimal ammunition.
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More than 20,000 Bushmaster Chain Guns have been in service with 65 allied nations’ land, air and sea-based combat platforms worldwide including on Australian Defence Force combat platforms across all three domains.
The Redback will be powered by an MTU MT 881 diesel engine. It will be armed with the EOS T2000 manned turret and equipped with Elbit sensors and C4I subsystems with a launcher for Rafael Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles integrated into the turret.
A range of Australian companies have or will contribute towards the Redback IFV including ANCA Engineering Solutions, which will manufacture the suspension; Elphinstone will perform machining and fabrication for the hulls; CBG Systems will provide its Solar Sigma Shield signature reduction cover; and LEAP Australia will furnish a vehicle management system.
The total Redback contract has been valued at approximately AU$4 billion (US$2.6 billion) with all vehicles made in Australia and deliveries to begin in 2027. The fleet will be delivered in full by 2028. A series of eight prototype vehicles will also be manufactured in both South Korea and Australia as the programme develops.
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