Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks to Senator Van. I know he has a great interest in defence procurement, and I also know that the Land 400 project has been one of the projects of great interest to quite a number of members of parliament and senators. Obviously the focus that the government has had has been on capability. As you would know, Senator Van, the government announced, on 27 July, Hanwha Defense Australia as the preferred tenderer to deliver 129 infantry fighting vehicles. The Redback will be a significant upgrade to the M113, the current vehicle used by Army to protect soldiers. The Redback infantry fighting vehicle will come with latest-generation armour, cannon and missiles, providing protection, mobility and firepower that is needed by our soldiers when in close combat. This is a capability that the government believes is needed for the ADF in its work.

Under the government, we have also accelerated the delivery schedule of the project to provide certainty to both Army and the defence industrial base following the Defence Strategic Review. We are looking to have these vehicles delivered two years earlier than they would have been under the former government's plan. I also note this was a project on which the former government did not make a procurement decision during the life of the government. I can provide more detail or a briefing about the capability of the Redback, but the advice to government was clearly that it came with superior capability, particularly protection, mobility and firepower, and that was necessary, obviously as a capability, and it was the best available provider.