A Victorian-based company has won a major defence contract to build Australian military vehicles in the Geelong region, delivering significant benefits for the state's economy and creating hundreds of highly skilled local jobs.
Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll today congratulated Hanwha Defense Australia on its successful bid to deliver the Commonwealth Government's multi-billion-dollar LAND 400 Phase 3 program, which will see the company build and maintain 129 Infantry Fighting Vehicles called the Redback for the Australian Army.'
Hanwha will deliver the LAND 400 Phase 3 program and the $1 billion LAND 8116 program - creating around 600 direct jobs and hundreds more indirect jobs throughout Victoria across the supply chain.
The vehicles will be made at Hanwha's $170 million Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence site under construction at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct.
The Andrews Labor Government is supporting local businesses to join Hanwha's supply chain through the $10 million Victorian Land Systems Fund. More than 500 businesses will have the opportunity to work with Hanwha and its global partners in delivering the Land 400 Phase 3 program - creating more job opportunities for Victorians.
Hanwha Corporation is South Korea's largest defence company and operates in aerospace, fintech, mining and clean energy. Hanwha Defense Australia was established in 2019 and is headquartered in Melbourne.
Victoria's defence sector is made up of 6,300 businesses, employing around 24,300 people and contributing $8.4 billion to the state's economy each year.
Victoria continues to build on the state's reputation as the destination of choice for high-value defence projects by attracting major global companies like BAE Systems, Boeing, Hanwha, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin and Thales.
Hanwha's presence in Geelong, along with Thales' operations in Bendigo and Benalla, positions Victoria as unrivalled by any other state in Australia in the production of land system vehicles.
As stated by Minister for Industry and Innovation and Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll
"Victoria is the nation's manufacturing capital and our defence expertise has helped Hanwha to secure this project, creating hundreds of jobs for Geelong."
As stated by Member for Lara Ella George
"We've backed Hanwha to set up in Geelong and the company winning this contract means hundreds of high-skilled jobs for our region."
As stated by Hanwha Defense Australia Managing Director Richard Cho
"We are excited for the next phase of this program that will see HDA and Australian industry deliver a world class IFV to the Australian Army."
