Our Cove Competition 2024 winners recently had the chance to claim their first place prizes, a Cove-sponsored trip to Melbourne, to attend a hosted tour of the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE)! Our friends at Hanwha Defence Australia generously sponsored the Cove Comp 24, providing our two winners, Shaun and Emma, with a tour of their Avalon facilities and an up-close look at the vehicles Hanwha are delivering to Army as part of LAND 8116, the AS9 Huntsman Self-Propelled Howitzer / AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicle, and Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, as well as a sneak peek at some of their other systems, such as the Tigon personnel carrier.   

Taking out 1st place in the competition's OR category, Shaun was joined by 3rd place winner Emma, due to other contestants being unable to claim the prize.  Shaun and Emma offer some reflections on the trip below:

Private Shaun Cameron

Winning submission: The Law of the Concrete Jungle: Army Cooperation in the Urban Littoral

"This trip was a great opportunity to see some of the work Hanwha is doing up close and personal. We had a chance to take a look at the Huntsman Self Propelled Howitzer and armoured ammunition resupply systems, Tigon personnel carrier, and the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which I was particularly keen to see as an infantry rifleman. Without giving too much away, I could see the development of some really robust and innovative systems tailored for the Australian Army and our needs, as well as consideration of lessons from modern battlefields and how the integration of systems such as drones into combined arms is reflected in Hanwha vehicles.

The Hanwha team were very kind with their time and energy in showing us around and it was a great chance to talk to industry and gain their insights into the changing character of war. This kind of engagement and collaboration will be key if conflict comes to the northern approaches and Australia and Army can consider how to rapidly increase output of these types of platforms. I can see that Hanwha are already thinking about these types of wicked problems and are also seeking out ways to innovate to support Army needs in the battlespace."

Able Seaman Emma Storey

Winning submission: Implications for Army From the Erosion of Australia’s ‘Tyranny of Distance’

"The team at Hanwha were very welcoming and had prepared a presentation on the company, the Geelong facility, and the equipment. H-ACE is a brand new facility that in August 2024 completed stage 1 of construction ahead of schedule, with stage 2 due to be completed by the end of 2026. After introductions and presentations, we set off on the hands-on part of the tour with a team of experts. In the initial phase of the project, Hanwha has built a small number of units in Korea and delivered them to Australia. These are undergoing testing while production ramps up in the Australian facility and were present on the day of our visit for us to explore and ask questions about.

It was clear a lot of thought had gone into optimising these systems both to protect against contemporary global developments in warfare and to meet Australia’s specific needs. The process of designing defences for weapons as they are invented is a constant intellectual race. There was also careful decisions about optimisation, such as between size and weight, or relevant climate and environment specific adaption. It was a window into that process to chat with the people who are on the front edge of designing and implementing these specifications and adaptions.

For me, this tour was a great chance to explore an aspect of Australia’s Defence that I normally would not have contact within my day-to-day job. Seeing what defence industry does, not just in terms of manufacturing but also the thought and creativity that goes into research and development was eye opening. There was clearly interest and communication between practitioners who have trained on or used comparable equipment, the international user community, strategic thinkers looking at the future of Army operations, and the team at Hanwha who develop and implement solutions. I am sure any of the people we got to talk to at Hanwha would be genuinely interested in analysis and insight on their work from Australian Defence personnel, whether published here on The Cove or elsewhere wherever the conversation about Australia’s defence is happening."

Congratulations to Shaun and Emma for their winning entries! The Cove would like to thank Hanwha Defence Australia for their support in offering this engaging piece of PME for our members.