Hanwha Defence Australia

On August 23rd, Hanwha Defence Australia opened the 32,000 square metre Hanwha Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE), is a historic milestone that will herald the return of high technology vehicle manufacturing to the Geelong region. We were honoured to have hundreds of delegates, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon. Richard Marles, Chief of Army LTGEN Simon Stuart, Minister of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Mr. Seok Jong-gun, and His Excellency Mr Seungseob Sim, South Korea’s Ambassador to Australia attend the ceremony, alongside representatives from the City of Geelong, Changwon City and members of local, state and federal governments.   “The opening of our $170 million H-ACE facility is the culmination of years of work by HDA and all our partners,” Acting HDA Managing Director Mr Dean Michie said. “I would also like to acknowledge the support from the Victorian Government in establishing this world class facility.” “This facility represents Hanwha's commitment to Geelong, Victoria, and Australia, demonstrating that the company is focused on the future of programs in this region, including howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles and other technological advancements beyond our current initiatives,” Hanwha Aerospace CEO Mr Jae-il Son said.   The H-ACE was delivered 2.5 months ahead of schedule thanks to close collaboration between HDA, construction partner Built. and contract manager Conscia.   Stage 2 of the facility, due to start construction in 2025, which will see the addition of a second production line to support the Redbacks along with additional elements including a firing tunnel and EMC/EMI chamber. This EMI/EMC chamber will create an expanded capability that will benefit the wider Defence and Defence Industry community in providing more capacity in this important space. “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,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon. Richard Marles MP 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.”   The H-ACE and it’s cutting edge, technological features will continue to unlock new opportunities for Australia, Australian Defence Industry and regional allies in the Indo-Pacific.   #ReadyReliableResponsive #supplychain #Redback #Huntsman #manufacturing #SME #AIC

BIG News: Introducing Hanwha Philly Shipyard! Today, we’re proud to embark on an exciting journey as Philly Shipyard becomes part of the Hanwha group. ️⚓ With decades of shipbuilding expertise rooted in Philly-style passion, we’re thrilled to join forces with a company that shares our values and vision for the future. Together, we’ll be the trusted US shipbuilder that challenges and redefines sustainable maritime solutions. 🌊 Our journey is just beginning, and the horizon is limitless!

2024 has been a historic year for us at Hanwha Defence Australia, made possible by the trust, dedication and sincerity of our employees, customer and partners. From the completion of Stage 1 of our Hanwha Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) facility 2.5 months ahead of schedule through to the significant progress made across our Australian programs, HDA remains Ready, Reliable and Responsive to the needs of our customer. We'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy holidays and look forward to an extraordinary 2025.

We're proud to announce the successful shipment of additional K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers and K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicles to Norway. This latest delivery of 4 K9 VIDAR and 8 K10 vehicles builds upon our successful first contract from 2017. Norway continues to be a valued member of the K9 User Club, sharing operational expertise with other K9 operating nations. Here's to strengthening our partnership with Norway! 💪

As proud sponsors of the Geelong Kokoda Youth Program (GKYP) since 2023, HDA was able to speak at the recent Geelong Youth Engagement (GYE) annual breakfast, held at GMHBA stadium. Through HDA’s commitment, staff have volunteered as mentors for the transformative 20-week program, which aims to empower at-risk youth in the Geelong region. Reflecting the Kokoda pillars of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice, the program provides invaluable opportunities for personal growth and development, with participants ultimately embarking on a multi-day journey and forging lifelong friendships. The breakfast event celebrated the incredible achievements of the 2024 cohort of trekkers, who successfully completed the challenging Kokoda and Shaggy Ridge Trails in Papua New Guinea. #Geelongyouthengagement #partnership #GKYP #kokoda

Last month, we welcomed a range of #SMEs to our state-of-the-art H-ACE facility in partnership with the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN National). The visit allowed industry to engage with various HDA team leaders and identify potential collaboration opportunities within defence manufacturing to further strengthen the Australian defence industry.  By sharing HDA’s vision and discussing potential opportunities within current programs, we aim to foster stronger industry partnerships and drive Australian defence capabilities forward.   #ReadyReliableResponsive #Supplychain #AIC #Manufacturing #partnership 

#ICYMI Hanwha Defence Australia, GME and Hanwha Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2024 MilCIS Conference in Canberra last week. The agreement will see the three parties working together to explore a range of manufacturing and technology transfer opportunities for the Australian Defence market around C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) opportunities. “The three partners gathered here represent over a century’s worth of experience in manufacturing and constantly evolving technology from both Australia and South Korea,” Acting Managing Director of HDA, Mr Dean Michie said. “We are looking forward to exploring the art of the possible together to support the needs of Defence.” #ReadyReliableResponsive #Australianbusiness #defence #MilCIS2024 #AIC #SME #TechnologyTransfer

Field Training Representatives (FTRs) from Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) recently concluded a 3-week training activity on the K9A1 and K10 series of vehicles in South Korea. The FTRs are upskilling and preparing for delivery of Operator training for Introduction Into Service activities for the Commonwealth on the #Huntsman family of vehicles.    Members from Integrated Product Support (IPS) team also supported this event to further refine development of Interactive Electronic Technical Publications (IETPs), a key part of the through life support efforts for the vehicles.   The HDA workforce, embedded at our parent company Hanwha Aerospace (HAS) facilities in South Korea, collaborate extensively with HAS subject matter experts and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to fulfill operator training modules and crew related roles on the vehicle turret and chassis. This included driver training on other K9 variants from both Norway and Poland.   “Hanwha Aerospace delivered an excellent training package, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to the safe conduct of this important milestone activity,” John McLachlan, Senior Instructor Designer (Operator) at HDA said. “Our staff bring a wealth of experience, and the successful completion of this activity now enables our team to progress further with upskilling on the Batch 1 AS09 and AS10 vehicles and to prepare for delivery of training to the Commonwealth.”   Upon completion of the activity, an official ceremony was held to recognise the landmark achievement with HDA team members being awarded an official certificate of completion.   #ReadyReliableResponsive #LandSystems #Training #Collaboration #TechnologyTransfer #StrategicPartership

Hanwha Defence Australia were honoured to welcome a delegation from the Republic of Korea National Assembly and Consulate in Melbourne to the Hanwha Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE).   The South Korean MPs had the opportunity to tour our advanced H-ACE manufacturing facility, with the visit underscoring the importance of close Defence Industry collaboration and increased South Korea-Australia security cooperation.   “This visit reflects a collaborative spirit that brings our two nations closer,” Mr Hichang Lee, General Manager of H-ACE at HDA, said.   #ReadyReliableResponsive #HDAIsHereToStay #StrategicPartnership #defence

During a recent tour of H-ACE, #SMEs had the chance to engage with our leadership, procurement and supply chain teams on the future of manufacturing, technology, and innovation in the Defence industry.   Held in conjunction with the Victorian Defence and Space Network (VDSN), the visit allowed industry to understand the capabilities of the H-ACE facility and the opportunities available within HDA’s current programs.   HDA are pleased to have had the opportunity to share our achievements and discuss potential opportunities with Australian businesses.   #ReadyReliableResponsive #Supplychain #AIC #Manufacturing