Northrop Grumman, an American defense technology company, will supply the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, a cannon developed for an armored personnel carrier, to the Australian subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace.
On the 5, industry sources noted that Northrop Grumman signed a contract with Hanwha Defense Australia to supply the Mk44 Bushmaster Chain Gun to integrate with the IFV Redback. In its initial deliveries by 2026, Northrop Grumman will deliver 129 Mk44 Bushmaster Chain Guns. In the past, Hanwha had utilized Northrop Grumman’s cannon for performance tests in hopes of acquiring the Australian Army’s armored personnel carrier projects.
The Mk44S Bushmaster Chain Gun can fire all types of 30mmx173mm ammunition used by NATO allied nations and is compatible with Northrop Grumman’s product lines. It also includes programmable airburst ammunition, and all shells can be set for airburst and proximity explosions, providing advanced defense technology to Australia. It can be easily upgraded to a 40mm machine gun by replacing components in emergencies.
The compatible advanced ammunition product line includes multi-purpose explosive ammunition, armor-piercing ammunition, and proximity fuse ammunition. Such diversity enables operators to select and respond to their needs to combat ground and air threats successfully. Over 20,000 Mk44S Bushmaster Chain Guns are used on land, air, and sea-based combat platforms in 65 allied nations worldwide.
Jennifer Zonneveld, Director of the Guns Operating Unit and site Lead at Northrop Grumman, remarked on the exceptional performance and reliability of the Bushmaster Chain Gun and described it as the most preferred automatic firearm worldwide. She further noted that through the partnership with Team Redback, led by Hanwha, Northrop Grumman is set to equip the Australian Army with the most advanced medium-caliber capability and ensure its continued relevance over time.
At the end of last year, Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract worth $2.68 billion with the Australian Department of Defense to supply 129 Redbacks. A subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Defense Australia, plans to sequentially supply the Redbacks from the Hanwha Armored Vehicle Production Center in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, until 2028.
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