Hanwha Selects Axalta Coatings for Australian Redback Vehicles
Hanwha Defence Australia selected Axalta as its coatings partner for AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles being produced under Australia's LAND 400 Phase 3 program.
The agreement extends the companies' relationship following Axalta's selection for the Huntsman LAND 8116 program in 2024. Axalta teams in Australia and South Korea will provide coatings expertise, application training and ongoing technical support.
The partners said the finish must withstand demanding operating environments over a long service life while limiting maintenance requirements. Application work will be supported by the in-house paint shop at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence, or H-ACE.
Hanwha Programs Director Alecia Millard and Axalta Military Program Manager Michael Busch emphasized the value of combining product performance with local manufacturing support. The announcement did not identify financial terms or specific coating formulations.
H-ACE, in the Geelong region of Victoria, is being developed as the manufacturing base for Hanwha's Australian vehicle programs. Its first phase opened in August 2024.
Hanwha says the second phase was constructed from March 2025 through February 2026 to support production of 129 Redback vehicles. The site combines production halls, workshops, a paint shop, systems integration and training facilities.
For the coating supplier, that arrangement links application support with the vehicle production process rather than treating paint as a stand-alone material purchase. Training and technical service are explicit elements of the Redback partnership, alongside the protective finish itself.
The agreement illustrates how industrial coatings suppliers compete on application support and manufacturing integration as well as long-term protective performance.
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