Australian Army Deploys First AS9 Huntsman Howitzers for Protected Mobile 155mm Firepower.

The Australian Army has fielded its first operational battery of AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzers with 106 Battery in Townsville, giving the 3rd Brigade a protected artillery force able to fire and rapidly relocate. The deployment marks a major shift from M777A2 towed guns toward heavier, mobile firepower designed to survive counter-battery threats and operate alongside Australia’s expanding armored forces.

106 Battery, 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, is receiving six AS9 Huntsman howitzers supported by three AS10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles, establishing the first complete Huntsman battery within the 3rd Brigade. The regiment’s remaining two batteries are expected to adopt the same structure by the end of 2027 as Army transitions its Townsville artillery force from four M777A2 guns per battery to six AS9s. The next phase will move crews beyond individual qualification toward unit and brigade-level employment, including tactical movement, ammunition resupply, maintenance and recovery of the roughly 48-ton tracked howitzers. Australian crews completed their first AS9 operator training and live-fire activity at Puckapunyal in May 2026 before returning to their regiment to develop procedures and collective proficiency.

Related News: Australia Tests First Locally Produced AS9 Huntsman 155mm Howitzer to Advance Mobile Artillery

Australian Army soldiers conduct the first live firing of the new AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzer at Puckapunyal in Victoria. (Picture source: Australian MoD)

The arrival changes the artillery model previously used by the 4th Regiment, which has been mainly structured around the M777A2 155 mm towed howitzer. The M777A2 remains lighter and can be deployed by air in situations where strategic mobility is a priority, but bringing it into action relies more heavily on manual procedures and exposes crews to a greater degree during deployment, ammunition resupply and displacement. With the AS9, the regiment is moving to a protected, mobile and digitised platform able to operate directly alongside the mechanised elements of the 3rd Brigade.

The Australian Army first communicated on the introduction of the Huntsman into the 4th Regiment and the training of its initial crews, before the information was reported by several specialised media outlets. The Australian Department of Defence had already confirmed on June 4, 2026, that thirty gunners from the regiment had completed a six-week AS9 training course at Puckapunyal, including the first live-fire activity conducted with vehicles built in Geelong. At the time, the Army described the system as intended to provide mobile and protected indirect fire while reducing exposure to counter-battery fire.

The programme dates back to LAND 8116 Phase 1 Protected Mobile Fires. The Australian government announced its intention to reintroduce a self-propelled artillery capability in May 2019 before awarding the contract to Hanwha Defense Australia on December 13, 2021. The acquisition covers 30 AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers and 15 AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicles. The initial contract value was approximately AUD 1.017 billion, while Defence budget documents now place approved expenditure for LAND 8116 at around AUD 1.326 billion. Two AS9s and one AS10 from the initial batch were built in South Korea, with the remaining vehicles assembled at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence near Geelong.

The AS9 is derived from the South Korean K9 Thunder but incorporates several modifications for Australian requirements. It is equipped with a 155 mm 52-calibre gun and carries 48 projectiles. The platform can fire three rounds in approximately fifteen seconds and sustain a rate of six to eight rounds per minute during intensive firing sequences. The K9 baseline has a reference effective range of around 40 km with conventional extended-range ammunition, although the actual engagement envelope depends on the projectile and propellant charge used. Its semi-automatic loading system also reduces crew workload and allows fire missions to be conducted in faster succession.

The AS10 completes the system by providing ammunition resupply without requiring crews to remain exposed for extended periods. Derived from the South Korean K10, it can carry up to 104 projectiles and uses a conveyor system linking the two vehicles directly. According to the Australian Army, an AS9 can therefore be fully resupplied in around twenty minutes. The Australian variant also incorporates increased internal height, updated fire-control systems, additional storage space and air conditioning adapted to local operating conditions. Trials have also covered the integration of Australian 155 mm ammunition and its compatibility with the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System used to calculate and coordinate fire missions.

The operational contribution goes beyond range or rate of fire. An AS9 on the move can halt and be ready to fire in under a minute, or in around thirty seconds when already stationary. After firing its final round, it can leave the position immediately. Against an opponent equipped with artillery-locating radars, reconnaissance drones and loitering munitions, shortening the detection, firing and displacement cycle directly affects survivability. Armour also protects the five-person crew from fragmentation and some ballistic threats, while the AS10 allows ammunition supply to continue under protection. Compared with the M777A2, Australia therefore gains greater tactical mobility, improved crew protection, a higher volume of fire and the ability to keep pace with mechanised formations rather than operating from more static firing positions.

The change comes as Canberra concentrates more heavy capabilities in northern Australia and adapts the Army for high-intensity operations in the Indo-Pacific. The AS9 does not turn Australian artillery into a strategic strike capability, a role increasingly associated with longer-range systems such as HIMARS, but it strengthens artillery at brigade and divisional level by providing more mobile and better-protected 155 mm fires. It also places Australia within a broader international community of K9 users that includes several European and Asian partners, while developing a domestic industrial base around Geelong. For Canberra, the effect is twofold: a field artillery capability better suited to surviving in a contested environment and a national industrial capacity able to produce, sustain and potentially upgrade an important component of land combat power.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying 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.