Australian Army Selects EOS R400 Remote Weapon Station for Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

Electro Optic Systems says it won a contract to integrate its R400 remote weapon station on Australia’s AS21 Redback IFVs under LAND 400 Phase 3. The add-on boosts close-in defense and reaction speed, complementing the 30 mm Mk44S turret, SPIKE LR2 missiles, and active protection slated for 129 vehicles from 2027.

Electro Optic Systems (EOS) announced a remote-weapon-station award for Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 3 Redback IFV program in Canberra on Oct. 6. The package covers an enhanced R400, full integration on the Hanwha-built AS21 Redback, and through-life support, aligning with Australia’s 129-vehicle, locally manufactured fleet scheduled to start deliveries in 2027. The lightweight, sub-400kg R400 adds rapid, stabilized, day/night firepower (up to 30×113 mm) to counter drones and fleeting threats without tasking the main gun.
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Hanwha Redback IFV delivered to the Australian Army for LAND 400 Phase 3 test and evaluation (Picture source: Australian MoD)

Adding an RWS to a vehicle that is already well armed may seem unexpected at first glance, yet it follows a clear capability rationale. The Redback, a new generation IFV selected by Canberra to replace the M113AS4, receives a turret with a 30 mm Bushmaster Mk44S, a coaxial 7.62 mm, smoke grenade launchers, and a twin SPIKE LR2 launcher. This primary armament architecture, designed from the outset with modern sensors, active protection, and an open electronics suite, demonstrated compatibility with Israeli missiles during earlier trials, while the overall program targets 129 vehicles assembled in Australia for deliveries from 2027. By adding a remote weapon station, the aim is to cover turret blind spots, increase reactivity against fleeting targets, and offload close-in tasks from the main gun.

Technically, the R400 has established itself on the market through a useful weight-to-firepower balance. EOS highlights a mass under 400 kg for a 30x113 mm configuration, three- to four-axis stabilization, and sub-milliradian precision, with mobile engagements advertised out to roughly 2 km. The station accepts multiple weapon families, from 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm to a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, and can mount an M230LF in 30x113 mm to extend range and terminal effect. It offers dual-weapon options, an integrated ballistic computer, and video tracking, with components that can be distributed inside the hull to optimize crew ergonomics.

Integration on Redback fits within a set of already proven interfaces. The vehicle’s turret includes sensors, a fire-control system, and active protection, and has cleared key development milestones. Public information indicates use of the Iron Fist APS and compatibility with SPIKE LR2, reflecting an effort to combine survivability and lethality across a wide threat spectrum, from loitering munitions to opposing armored vehicles. Within this framework, the R400 acts as an agile shield that engages nearby targets, counters small, slow air threats, covers firing windows that the main turret cannot always exploit in time, and contributes to sustained suppressive fire while keeping operators under armor. Digital control, no-fire zone,s and stabilization support rapid opening of fire from the halt or on the move, which shortens reaction time.

Operational value also stems from modularity. In Australia, the IFV must cover long distances under demanding logistical and climatic conditions. A light RWS allows mission-dependent configurations, from a 12.7 mm fit with area-effect ammunition to a 30x113 mm with proximity fuzes against small drones. For a mechanized section, the station can illuminate a route, briefly fix an opposing strongpoint, deny a junction, or disable a light-protected vehicle at roughly STANAG 3 levels, all while keeping the crew under armor. EOS feedback on hard-kill counter-drone use, combined with the ballistic performance of 30x113 mm, indicates that the interception window widens at short range, where dedicated systems may not always be present.

The industrial angle is central to this contract. The government reduced the initial size of the IFV fleet but maintained the requirement for local manufacture, with knock-on effects for employment and skills development within the domestic defense industrial base. EOS will produce in Canberra and rely on more than one hundred national suppliers, while Hanwha foresees a ramp-up from its Australian facilities to meet the 129-vehicle target. This setup facilitates in-country sustainment, shortens logistics chains, and strengthens support autonomy. It also creates potential export opportunities if third countries show interest in an Australian variant of the Redback or in the RWS on a stand-alone basis. In the near term, it mainly ensures that the weapon station, like the chassis and turret, can be supported and modernized domestically.

Since the Defence Strategic Review, Canberra has been reallocating resources toward long-range strike, coastal defense and maritime priorities while maintaining a credible land capability. The approach here is to invest in a modern, locally produced IFV and pair it with adaptable subsystems. In the Indo-Pacific, where power competition plays out at sea and on land, industrial resilience has become a strategic variable. The Redback plus R400 combination reflects this balance, with emphasis on technological sovereignty and time to field. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence confirm the 129-vehicle objective and recall the scale of the program, presented as one of the Australian Army’s major undertakings.

Ultimately, the contract awarded to EOS does not alter Redback’s core profile; it complements it. The R400 remote weapon station occupies the tactical space between the main turret and the dismounted infantry. It adds flexibility, redundancy, and time on target in scenarios where seconds matter. By relying on national production and a network of local firms, Australia also secures part of the support and future evolution of its fleet.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.