Best of the week — the five most popular stories among @AuManufacturing’s readers

5) The importance of space technology in Australia

The federal government recently cancelled a number of key space initiatives, including funding for the Access to Space and National Space Mission for Earth Observation programs.

Rather than assess the merit of these decisions, I’d rather emphasise the importance of space to our country. By Adam Gilmour.

4) Marand and Fairbanks Morse combine in components for N-subs

Increasing multinational collaboration among AUKUS companies in Australia’s shipbuilding sector is apparent in a new tie up between US-based Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) and Melbourne’s Marand Precision Engineering.

FMD is a primary supplier to the US Navy of marine power and propulsion systems, while Marand has increasingly been penetrating defence from its origins in the automotive sector.

FMD has extensive expertise in the power and propulsion systems for nuclear vessel platforms including nuclear submarines that are now being shared with and developed by the Royal Australian Navy.

3) Korea calls for closer defence industry ties with Australia

South Korean legislators have called for closer cooperation on defence industry in a session at the ROK National Assembly attended by Australia’s ambassador to Korea Catherine Raper and Labor MP Jerome Laxale.

Professor Kim Woosang, Professor of Political Science and Diplomacy at Yonsei University in Seoul, called for the establishment of a robust defense, industry and security framework between the two countries modelled on arrangements between Japan and allies including Australia.

South Korea is Australia’s third largest trading partner, with Hanwha Defense Australia already building an advanced armoured vehicle production facility in Geelong, Victoria to build self-propelled howitzers for the Australian Defence Force under the LAND 8116 programme.

2) Defence announces IFV contract, but no word on who in defence is leaking

The federal government has announced that it has selected Hanwha Defense Australia as the preferred tenderer to deliver 129 infantry fighting vehicles to the Australian Army.

The Government has also decided that the new vehicles will be built in Australia at Hanwha’s facilities now under construction at Avalon airport in Geelong, Victoria.

Conroy said the LAND 400 Phase 3 project would have a value of between $5 billion and $7 billion, making it one of the largest capability acquisition projects in the history of the Army.

1) Australia chooses Korean infantry fighting vehicle – reports

The federal government appears to have done what all governments have done recently – leaked the result of a critical government decision to favoured news sources.

In this case selected media are reporting tonight that the government has decided to buy 129 infantry fighting vehicles from South Korea’s Hanwha Defense over its German rival for the contract Rheinmetall.

While government sources said the report was speculative and an announcement would be made at 9.30am this morning, the reports are clearly more than that.

And in case you missed our podcast…

In episode 65 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, Keith Milne from Uncle Harry’s Vegan Grill tells us about what made him buy a vegan food maker at age 70, what he did after that, what he hates about a lot of the vegan/vegetarian products he sees in supermarkets, and the positives of running a business at his age.

Picture: credit Hanwha Defense Australia