BSDA 2024: Hanwha to offer Redback IFV to Italy and Romania

An AS21 Redback displayed at Hanwha's stand at BSDA 2024. It is likely that the Australian configuration of the Redback will form the basis of Hanwha's Romanian bid. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)

Hanwha revealed that it intends to enter its Redback tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) into Italian and Romanian competitive IFV procurement programmes at the Black Sea Defense and Aerospace (BSDA) 2024 exhibition held in Bucharest from 22 to 24 May.

In a press release published on 21 May, Billy Boohwan Lee, head of Hanwha Aerospace Europe, claimed that “the Redback IFV solution is expected to help bring a massive manufacturing capability to the Romanian market through active industrial partnerships”. This followed an industry day held on 17 May, in which the company met with representatives from Romanian industry to investigate avenues for potential collaboration in upcoming programmes.

However, in an interview with Janes on the first day of the exhibition, Peter JK Bae, vice-president for business development at Hanwha Aerospace Europe, confirmed that partnerships with Romanian industry had yet to be finalised and that there are currently no arrangements in place for prototypes to be shipped from Australia to Romania for testing.

Nevertheless, Bae envisioned the creation of a Romanian land systems hub on the condition that the Redback and the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, which it is also offering to the Romanian Army, are selected. This could carry out production and testing, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for Hanwha land systems operated in Europe.