Hanhwa completes howitzer blast testing

Defence vehicle armour producer Plasan of Israel has successfully completed blast tests on the AS10 vehicle which is being purchased for the Australian Army under Phase 1 of the LAND 8116 Protected Mobile Fires (PMF) programme.

The tests, carried out with the support of Hanwha Defense Australia and Hanwha Aerospace from the Republic of Korea, involved a series of blast tests on the AS9 and AS10 Huntsman family of vehicles.

The AS9 is the Australian version of the South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzer, while the AS10 is an Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV).

The Plasan protection solution consists of fixed and dismountable components that protect the Huntsman vehicles against a wide range of threats.

The test outcomes consolidated the development of the mine blast protection system for the Huntsman vehicles, with the enhanced protection elements being incorporated into the vehicle design as part of the programme progressing towards a Detailed Design Review.

Completion of this stage of the programme is an important step in the development of the Huntsman vehicles.

Picture: Hanwha Defense Australia