Hanwha leaps ahead with Redback lifecycle support

Melbourne – 27 May, 2021: Hanwha Defense Australia and local engineering technology specialists LEAP Australia have joined forces on a ground breaking advancement that will enhance lifecycle support of the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

The Redback is under consideration by the Commonwealth under an ongoing tender process for Project Land 400 Phase 3 which is an $18 billion to $27 billion project tasked to acquire up to 450 Infantry Fighting Vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.

Large vehicle fleets are complex and difficult to maintain – especially when the fleet contains several sophisticated variants from the base vehicle – and is expected to be operational for many decades.

Data is one of the keys to effectively managing that complexity; data that outlines exactly the specification each vehicle was built to originally, and what maintenance, repairs or upgrades have been carried out since. Information on replacement parts and analysis of emerging wear patterns or component failures is also useful.

The benefits of easy access to the complete and accurate vehicle data is simple to understand but has proven difficult to achieve in a real-world situation to date.

A break through solution to this has been achieved for the Redback IFV through Hanwha’s selection of the industry-leading PTC Windchill product lifecycle management (PLM) software, supported by local technology company LEAP Australia. With support from LEAP, Hanwha has integrated the PTC Windchill PLM software to make significant progress towards the creation of a precise digital twin for each vehicle in the fleet, where the digital data-based version precisely matches the physical, operational asset.

“Having a digital twin that effectively mirrors every vehicle in a large complex fleet has been the ‘holy grail’ for engineers, maintainers and logisticians for quite a while,” said Mr Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia, “and I am proud that our partnership between Hanwha and LEAP Australia has been able to make that break through.

“What the digital twin delivers in the real world is more efficient maintenance and support with less down time, and greater reliability and availability across the entire fleet. This saves money while increasing the battle readiness of military vehicles.”

“It has been a rewarding project to apply the Windchill PLM software using a combination of the efficient out-of-the-box functionality and the highly configurable role and task-based apps to help Hanwha create a single and unified digital picture for the IFV program,” said Mr Paul O’Shaughnessy, PTC Business Manager, LEAP Australia.
“The amount of useful information available to enhance fleet maintenance via the digital twin is invaluable to the defence industry. This PLM solution also simplifies configuration management and lays a solid foundation for any future vehicle upgrade programs.

With Hanwha’s PLM solution residing securely in the cloud, in the event that the Redback is selected for Land 400 Phase 3, the solution will provide constantly updated data for Redback fleet maintenance to all those who need it.

Hanwha and LEAP Australia are also exploring opportunities to apply innovative new technology to enhance delivery of armoured vehicle capabilities.

About LEAP

LEAP Australia is a leading engineering software provider in Australia and New Zealand. The company has a long-established reputation for successfully delivering Computer Aided Engineering software and services to thousands of Australian and New Zealand customers – from global leaders to small local companies.

The team at LEAP Australia assist local companies to implement product development technologies that reduce costs, improve quality and increase productivity. LEAP has the team, tools and experience to solve problems that no-one else can.

LEAP proudly represent world leading engineering technology companies, such as PTC and Ansys, providing software solutions across the entire product development lifecycle.

About Team Redback

Team Redback, led by Hanwha Defense Australia, has been formed to deliver the best available Australian and global technologies to military customers, including the Australian Defence Force.

Team Redback includes Elbit Land Systems, EOS Defence Systems, Bisalloy Steels, ECLIPS Logistics, Soucy Defense, Milspec Manufacturing, CBG Systems and ANCA; with a growing list of Australian suppliers being identified to support the Land 400 Phase 3 Risk Mitigation Activity.

These teaming arrangements are focused on making the Redback IFV the most protected and effective vehicle possible.

About Hanwha Defense Australia

Hanwha Defense Australia is a subsidiary of Hanwha Defense International which is a division of the vast Republic of Korea Fortune 500 conglomerate Hanwha Corporation. Hanwha Corporation has been operating in Australia since 2005 in areas including mining equipment, logistics and alternative energy.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Hanwha Defense Australia was established in 2019 with an initial focus on Land Systems. The company has been selected as the sole tenderer to bid for LAND 8116, a $0.9 to $1.3 billion project which will see the Commonwealth acquire self-propelled artillery systems to be manufactured in the Greater Geelong area of Victoria.