December 14th, 2021Howitzer defence project begins in 2022

Today’s signing of the $1 billion Howitzer defence contract by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea, awarded to Hanwha Defense Australia, is an incredible day for Geelong.

Under the initial contract, Hanwha will deliver 30 self-propelled Howitzers to the Australian Army along with 15 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles and weapon locating radars.  

An Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence will be built in the Geelong region for the construction, acquisition and maintenance of these state-of-the-art defence vehicles, with works on the manufacturing facility to commence in 2022. 

Not only will this project create at least 300 defence manufacturing jobs, it will generate export and ongoing defence support opportunities for Australian industry until the late 2040s.  

This project is testament to our government’s commitment to Australian defence industry and sovereign manufacturing as well as nation’s defence capability.

The Morrison Government’s May 2019 election commitment to the Howitzer defence project, which included establishing the project in the Geelong region for which I fought so hard, was never matched by Labor.
In 2012, the then Labor federal government cancelled the Howitzer project as part of a large cut in defence spending.  Labor’s entrenched and reckless opposition to the Howitzer defence project means hundreds of manufacturing jobs and a $1 billion investment in Geelong would be at risk if ever Labor and Anthony Albanese were elected.