AS21 Redback: Australia’s new infantry fighting vehicle from a Korean design lineage

Australia is acquiring 129 AS21 Redbacks to replace M113AS4 carriers. Hanwha Defence Australia will build them in Geelong, with completion now planned by the end of 2028—years earlier than the original schedule. Redback derives from Korea’s K21 lineage but is adapted for Australian protection, communications and operating requirements.

Protection and infantry carriage

The heavy tracked IFV is intended to protect crew and dismounts from mines, fragments and direct fire. Modular armour and active-protection options are publicly discussed; exact resistance levels remain classified. More protection means more mass, so mobility, bridge limits and transportability must be assessed together.

Turret and sensing

Redback uses a 30 mm cannon, coaxial machine gun and anti-tank missiles in a modern turret. Stabilised day and thermal optics support hunter-killer engagements. Firepower is only as useful as identification, ammunition availability and digital links to reconnaissance and armour.

Running gear and Australian adaptation

Composite rubber tracks are intended to reduce weight, vibration and noise. They change maintenance and ground pressure but are not universally superior on every surface. Cooling, radios, ergonomics and local protection packages matter as much as engine output in sustained Australian service.

Editorial assessment

Redback gives Australia a contemporary IFV and a domestic production line. Acceleration is positive but increases pressure on testing, workforce and suppliers. The decisive question is whether 129 vehicles remain available and integrate with Abrams, artillery, drones and logistics as one land system.

Primary sources and method

This assessment uses official government, armed-forces and manufacturer material. Missing data are not replaced with estimates.

• Australian Defence Ministers – selection of 129 Redbacks
• Australian Defence Ministers – accelerated completion by 2028