Hanwha Aerospace completes construction of first overseas production facility

Hanwha Aerospace completed the construction of a factory in Geelong, Australia, to produce self-propelled howitzers and armored vehicles.

Korean and Australian officials attended the opening ceremony of Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) in Geelong, Australia, on Friday. In the front row: Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun, third from left; Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, fourth from left; Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, on the far left; and Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il, second from right. [HANWHA AEROSPACE]

Hanwha Aerospace completed the construction of a factory in Geelong, Australia, to produce self-propelled howitzers and armored vehicles.

It marks the first time a Korean defense company established an overseas production facility.

Dubbed as Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE), the factory will manufacture AS9 self-propelled howitzers, AS10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles and redback infantry fighting vehicles. AS9 and AS10 are Australian models of the Korean K9 howitzers and K10 vehicles.

Hanwha Aerospace will supply 30 and 15 units of the AS9 and AS10, respectively, to the Australian army until 2027.

The redback infantry fighting vehicle secured a supply deal of 129 units, which will be made after delivering prototype products in 2026.

The facility spans 150,000 square meters (1.6 million square feet), and includes a production plant, a driving test site and a shooting range.

“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, vehicles and other technological advancements beyond our current initiatives,” said Son Jae-il, CEO and President of Hanwha Aerospace. “H-ACE is a significant part of our global defense supply chain, further strengthening the relationship between Australia and Korea. We will continue to collaborate with Australian companies and work toward integrating more of them into our global supply networks.”

Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart and Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il attended the facility’s opening ceremony on Friday.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]