Tasmania benefits from A$1 billion Huntsman howitzer contract

The Australian MoD has announced that 55 new jobs are being created in Tasmania as a result of the A$1 billion contract signed with Hanwha Defense Australia for Huntsman howitzers.

Tasmania-based Elphinstone will manufacture 45 Huntsman turrets and hulls, completing the steel fabrication, machining and painting of the components before shipping them to Geelong for the construction of the howitzers.

The contract signed with Hanwha Defense Australia, a subsidiary of Korea-based Hanwha Defense, in December 2021, represents not only the largest military acquisition between Korea and Australia but also the latter’s largest-ever military acquisition from Asia.

The acquisition comes after Australia cancelled a previous plan to adopt the K9, of which the Huntsman is a variant, in 2012.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, renderings released by Hanwha indicate the Huntsman will be fitted with add-on armour on the hull front and sides.

A remote weapons station manufactured by EOS and armed with a 12.7mm M2QCB heavy machine gun will be mounted on the roof, as will a separate pintle mount for a 7.62mm GPMG.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

K9 Thunder