Competition for Australia's M113 replacement has 4 competitors

Three of the confrmed contenders for the LAND 400 Phase 3 project, from left to right: the BAE Systems CV90, Hanwha Systems AS21 Redback, and Rhinemetall Lynx KF41. Photo c/o Defence Connect.



The Australian Department of Defence's (DoD) LAND 400 Phase 3 project to replace the Australian Army (AA) fleet of ageing M113AS4 tracked armored personnel carriers will have four foreign companies contending to supply up to 450 armored vehices for the Australian Army.

Aside from General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) with their Ajax armored fighting vehicle, and Hanwha Systems with the AS21 Redback IFV, two other companies namely Rhinemetall Defence with their Lynx KF41 IFV, and BAE Systems CV90.

The LAND 400 Phase 3 is expected to be worth between A$10-15 billion (US$7-10.5 billion) for the supply, delivery, and support for up to 450 new tracked infantry fighting vehicles for mounted close combat capability.

The GDLS' Ajax is based on the vehicle of the same name that is being built for the British Army. It was in turn based on an upgraded version of the ASCOD IFV made for the armies of Austria and Spain.

The Hanwha Systems AS21 Redback is a development based on the K21 IFV used by the Republic of Korea Army, with improvements in ballistic and mine protection, as well as having a larger internal space.


The BAE Systems CV90 is a proven produce that is already in service with Sweden and several other European countries.

The Rhinemetall Lynx KF41 is a new development from Germany intended for the export market, with the US, Australia, Czech Republic and Qatar among those considering the design.

Part of the project is for the winning contender to set-up a factory in Australia to build the winning armored vehicle design.

In 2018, another phase of the project called LAND 400 Phase 2 was awarded to Rhinemetal for the supply of Boxer wheeled armored vehicles. 



[1] Jane's Defence Weekly
[2] Defence Connect
[3] Australian Defence Magazine
Competition for Australia's M113 replacement has 4 competitors Competition for Australia's M113 replacement has 4 competitors Reviewed by Asia Pacific Defense Journal on March 11, 2019 Rating: 5

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