The 32,000 sqm H-ACE will employ up to 2100 people. Photo: Hanwha Defence Australia.
A new facility that will build infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers for the Australian Army has been officially opened at Avalon Airport near Geelong.
After a two-year construction period, the Hanwha Defence Australia’s Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) was opened on Thursday 23 August by Defence Minister and Member for Corio, Richard Marles.
Other attendees included Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy, Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, Minister of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Mr Seok Jong-gun, President of Hanwha Aerospace Mr Jae-Il Son, and representatives from the City of Geelong and South Korea’s Changwon City.
Located next to the entrance to Avalon Airport, the 32,000 sqm facility will build a least 129 AS21 Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV), 30 AS9 Huntsman Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPH), and 15 AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicles (AARV) for the Australian Army. There are additional opportunities for components or wholly built vehicles to be supplied to South Korea and other nations.
The H-ACE also includes a 1200-metre test track, a deep-water test facility, an obstacle course and a research and development centre.
At its peak, it is expected to employ 1800 direct and another 300 indirect jobs.
Mr Marles said the state-of-the-art facility would provide well paid, secure jobs while manufacturing key capabilities for Australia’s Army.
“The Republic of Korea is an important partner to Australia, and today’s opening of the H-ACE reflects the strong government and industry collaboration between our two countries,” he said.
“This facility establishes a sovereign production and maintenance capability while allowing Australian companies to participate in the global supply chain, supporting local jobs and Australian defence industry.”
Mr Marles also recognised the closer military ties between Australia and South Korea.
“Hanwha’s presence here in Geelong … we are seeing it make an enormous contribution to the relationship between our two countries,” he said.
“It speaks to the significance that the Korean defence industry is playing in building the bilateral relationship between our two countries.
“Through the geostrategic outlook of both of our nations, we are seeing us build a relationship which has never been closer, and today is a very important step forward in respect of that as well.”
Mr Conroy said the acquisition of the armoured vehicles was part of the modernisation of the Army.
“Building armoured vehicles locally will support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the industry and support Australia’s strategic imperative to develop sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities,” he said.
“This is part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to keeping Australians safe while also supporting a future made in Australia.”
LTGEN Stuart said the facility and the capabilities it would produce exemplified the Army’s acceleration of its transformation to meet the government’s direction under the Defence Strategic Review.
“These two capabilities – the self-propelled howitzer and the infantry fighting vehicle – are part of making our Army relevant and credible amongst the strategic challenges of the 21st century,” he said.
“Importantly, they will work alongside other capabilities that have been accelerated by the government, such as our army littoral manoeuvre watercraft projects, and our long-range fires capability.”
The opening comes just a month after Australian Army troops visited South Korea to commence training on the AS9/AS10.
