Hanwha Defense Set to Challenge in the U.S. Army’s Future Vehicle Initiative
Hanwha Defense has established an exclusive partnership with Oshkosh Defense, a prominent US defense firm, for the digital design phase of the US Army’s next-gen combat vehicle initiative. This collaboration follows Hanwha Defense’s recent achievements in Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 3 armored vehicle enhancement program and LAND 8116’s procurement of the AS9 Self-Propelled Howitzer and AS10 fully automated Armored Ammunition Resupply Vehicle.
The OMFV program represents a crucial component of the US Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle modernization strategy, aimed at replacing the M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which has been operational since the early 1980s. The program’s five-phase acquisition strategy is set to award the initial contract in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2021, with the first units expected to receive their OMFVs in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2028.
“The collaboration of two pioneering, dependable, and successful land systems companies fills me with great assurance that Hanwha and Oshkosh, alongside our consortium partners, will provide the next generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle that the American Soldier truly merits,” stated the head of Hanwha Defense’s US operations, Lieutenant General Bernard S. Champoux, US Army, Retired.
Hanwha Defense is the premier developer of wheeled and tracked combat vehicles and weapon systems in the Republic of Korea, boasting over fifty years of accumulated expertise, capabilities, and technology across multiple proven direct and indirect fire solutions. Broadening its global outlook, Hanwha Defense has delivered over 7,000 state-of-the-art combat vehicles to the Republic of Korea and exports to nations such as Malaysia, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Turkey, and India.
Hanwha Defense is designing and developing the world’s most sophisticated Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the Redback, tailored for Australia with enhanced lethality, outstanding power, unparalleled situational awareness, and top-tier protection in its class. The Redback was shortlisted in 2019 as one of the two final contenders for the LAND 400 Phase 3 program, with three prototype vehicles currently undergoing testing and evaluations for the Australian Army’s Risk Mitigation Activity.
Hanwha shares Oshkosh’s proven commitment to quality and responsiveness to customer needs. Similar to local production in Australia and numerous other partner nations, Hanwha’s contribution to the OMFV solution will be manufactured in America with American labor.
