AFESS successfully tested in Korea ahead of Australian assembly for LAND 8116

Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA), Sydney’s HIFraser and Busan, South Korea-based DNB have announced the successful demonstration of fire and explosion suppression systems in testing for the Huntsman family of vehicles.

In a statement from HDA on Wednesday on the latest round of testing for the LAND 8116 Phase 1 program, it said the trio successfully “demonstrated compliance to international test standards utilising DNB’s Automatic Fire and Explosion Suppression System (AFESS) technology”. 

According to the statement, testing took place in early-November and was “conducted on steel hull structures designed to mimic the internal volume and layout” of the AS9 Huntsman vehicle. 

Two test rigs were subjected to a series of assessments testing the efficacy of AFESS, “including an engine compartment fire suppression test, fire suppressant concentration tests, and a crew compartment hydrocarbon explosion suppression test.”

LAND 8116 Phase 1 is a program worth approximately $1 billion, and which will see 30 AS9 Self-Propelled Howitzers and 15 AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicles built at Hanwha’s Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence at Avalon Airport and delivered to the Australian Army.

Hanwha will also build 129 Redback infantry fighting vehicles under the LAND 400 Phase 3 program at Avalon.

HIFraser and DNB are cooperating under a technology transfer program that could lead to international opportunities.

Under the agreement for Huntsman production, the first three sets of AFESS will be assembled by DNB in Busan from Korean and Australian-supplied components, and the remaining 42 systems assembled by HIFraser in Sydney for delivery to Avalon.

Picture: supplied

Further reading

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Hanhwa completes howitzer blast testing