Land 400 Phase 2

Land 400 Phase 2
Name	Infantry Fighting Vehicle Acquisition
Country	Australia
Project	Land 400 Phase 2
Period	2015–2021
Prime	Rheinmetall Defence Australia
Outcome	Boxer CRV selected

Land 400 Phase 2 Land 400 Phase 2 was an Australian Department of Defence acquisition program to replace the Australian M113 armoured personnel carrier fleet with a new tracked or wheeled infantry fighting vehicle for the Australian Army's mechanised formations. The project sat within the broader Australian LAND 400 initiative alongside other projects such as Land 400 Phase 3 and interacted with procurement entities including Defence Materiel Organisation and Australian Defence Force headquarters. The program shaped industrial participation, interoperability with partners like the United States Armed Forces, and strategic planning linked to the 2016 Defence White Paper and later capability reviews.

Background and objectives

The program sought to provide an armoured fighting vehicle to support combined-arms operations alongside systems like the M1 Abrams, ASLAV, and to integrate with communications stacks used by Australian Army Aviation Regiment, 1st Brigade (Australia), and multinational exercises such as Talisman Sabre and Pitch Black. Objectives emphasised lethality, protection, mobility, and sustainment compatible with alliance partners including the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Canadian Army, and New Zealand Defence Force. Industrial policy goals referenced the Australian Industry Capability framework, involving state governments such as South Australia and companies like Rheinmetall Defence and BAE Systems.

Procurement process and timeline

The request for tender closed after several stages including initial market engagement, risk mitigation studies, and competitive evaluation overseen by bodies such as the Department of Defence (Australia), Australian National Audit Office, and parliamentary committees like the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Key milestones included tender shortlist announcements, prototype trials, capability evaluation trials with units from 3rd Brigade (Australia) and 7th Brigade (Australia), and final contract award. The timeline intersected with political events including the 2016 Australian federal election and cabinet decisions informed by advice from the Chief of Army and the Chief of the Defence Force.

Contenders and vehicle designs

Shortlisted contenders included designs from international manufacturers: a tracked design from Hanwha Defense based on the AS21 Redback, a tracked entry from BAE Systems based on the CV90, a wheeled candidate from Patria derived from the Patria AMV, and a modular design from Rheinmetall based on the Boxer (armoured fighting vehicle). Other industry participants and partners included Oshkosh Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems, and subcontractors such as Lockheed Martin, Thales Group, and Babcock International. Each design cited heritage from platforms used by the Swedish Army, Finnish Defence Forces, German Army, and United States Marine Corps.

Evaluation, testing, and selection

Evaluation encompassed live-fire trials, automotive reliability tests, amphibious and mobility trials conducted at ranges and proving grounds used by units from Townsville, Puckapunyal, and facilities linked to RAAF Base Edinburgh. Tests measured ballistic protection against threats documented in studies from RAND Corporation, blast performance informed by research at DST Group, and network integration with systems by Raytheon and Israel Aerospace Industries. Political scrutiny and assessments by the Parliament of Australia influenced the final decision, which resulted in the selection of the Rheinmetall Boxer-based Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle under oversight from ministers such as the Minister for Defence.

Contract details and production

The contract awarded to Rheinmetall Defence Australia specified local production, sustainment, and facilities commitments in partnership with state governments and firms including Austal, Downer Group, and Safran. Industrial content provisions referenced the Australian Industry Participation policy and domestic workshare targets involving manufacturing at sites similar to those used by ASC Pty Ltd and logistics support by entities like Serco Group. Contract provisions established schedules for vehicle deliveries, through-life support, and integration with Australian supply chains managed under the supervision of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group.

Deployment, capability and variants

Planned deployment placed vehicles into 1st Armoured Regiment (Australia) and mechanised battalions participating in exercises such as Kangaroo and international deployments in cooperation with partners like United States Indo-Pacific Command, Combined Joint Task Force frameworks, and peacekeeping missions overseen by the United Nations. Variants included command-and-control, ambulance, recovery, and direct-fire reconnaissance trims designed to work with systems like the M230 chain gun or mission modules developed by Rheinmetall Landsysteme and sensors from SAGEM. Integration priorities focused on communications with the Battle Management System architecture and coalition data links used by CENTCOM partners.

Controversies and political impact

The program attracted debate in the Parliament of Australia over cost, timeline, and industrial benefits, prompting inquiries by the Australian National Audit Office and reviews tied to electoral cycles such as the 2019 Australian federal election. Critics invoked procurement experiences from projects like the SEA 1000 and Future Submarine Program while proponents highlighted sovereign industry arguments echoed in submissions from state entities like the Government of South Australia. Media outlets, defence analysts at Griffith University and think tanks such as the Lowy Institute and Australian Strategic Policy Institute scrutinised capability choices, export potential, and interoperability implications for partnerships with the United States of America, United Kingdom, and regional partners including Indonesia and Japan.

Category:Australian armoured fighting vehicles procurement