A trio of firms has demonstrated the automatic fire and explosion suppression capability of the Huntsman family of vehicles, contracted by Australia.
Steel hull structures mimicking AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer were used for the test at a DNB facility in South Korea.
“This includes an engine compartment fire suppression test, fire suppressant concentration tests, and a crew compartment hydrocarbon explosion suppression test,” Hanwha Defense Australia explained.
Huntsman Procurement Program
The tests were part of the LAND 8116 Phase 1 program to build and deliver 30 AS9 self-propelled howitzers and 15 AS10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles for the Australian Army.
The AS9 is based on the South Korean K9 Thunder 155-millimeter howitzer, intended to complement Australia’s M777 towed artillery and associated systems.
The first three sets of Automatic Fire and Explosion Suppression Systems will be built at DNB’s Busan facility using Korean and Australian components while the remaining 42 will be assembled by HIFraser in Sydney using a greater amount of Australian equipment.
The systems will then be sent to Hanwha Defense Australia’s Geelong facility for integration into the vehicles.
The first two AS9 vehicles and their corresponding AS10s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2025.