Page 3 - AVALON 2023 - Day 3 | DAILY NEWS

SCALE OF LAND 400 PHASE 3

HANGS IN THE BALANCE

© Department of Defence

Like many programmes, the Australian German manufacturers had examples of of its KF41-based Combat Support Vehicle.
Army’s Land 400 Phase 3 effort to obtain their IFV offerings on display at Avalon The Lynx CSV was developed in Australia,
new infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) has Airshow 2023. Interestingly, both presented and it is equipped with a crane, dozer blade
been impacted by the Defence Strategic their vehicles repainted in a green colour. and winch, and can carry cargo such as
Review. This is because they were not allowed to a spare engine. This variant is some 10
display them in the army’s proprietary cam- tonnes lighter than the Lynx IFV.
However, industry sources spoken to ouflage scheme.
at Avalon Airshow 2023 intimated that, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy
instead of 450 new IFVs being procured, Both vehicles were fully functioning exam- said that Land 400 Phase 3 is the only
a figure of 300 might be more realistic ples and had participated in trials and risk programme to have been delayed by the
to replace the geriatric fleet of M113AS4 mitigation activities with the Australian Defence Strategic Review. While that may
Army. They were they thus armed with
armoured personnel carriers. This will only functioning weapons and accessories such be the case officially, where a pause has
be confirmed once the Defence Strategic as the Iron Fist hard-kill active protection been formally put in place, the fact is
Review is made public. system. that other programmes have been unoffi-
cially put on ice and decisions have been
In the meantime, the two shortlisted con- The initial impression made on viewers by deferred.
tenders – Hanwha Defense Australia with these vehicles is that they are huge, some-
the AS21 Redback, and Rheinmetall with thing necessitated by the Australian Army’s Project Land 400 Phase 3, as initially con-
the KF-41 Lynx – must wait and see what requirement to carry six soldier dismounts ceived, would have been the army’s most
the government wants. in addition to the vehicle crew. expensive programme ever. It remains to
be seen how sharply it will be pared back
Both the aforementioned South Korean and Rheinmetall also had on display an example under the review process.

Editorial Director Arun Sivasankaran Art Director
Vittorio Rossi Prudente arun.sivasankaran@gbp.com.sg Sudheesh Kularmunda
PUBLISHED BY vittorio.prudente@gbp.com.sg Atul Chandra sudheesh.kularmunda@gbp.com.sg
atul.chandra@gbp.com.sg
Editorial Team: Sales Director
Jay Menon Gordon Arthur Akshay Satyamurthy
jay.menon@gbp.com.sg anodrog@hotmail.com akshay.satyamurthy@gbp.com.sg

AVALON 2023 MARCH-02-2023 | 3