Rheinmetall Defence Australia has announced it has been shortlisted for the Australian Army’s Project LAND 125 Phase 4 integrated soldier system program,
The company’s confirmation comes after rivals Elbit Systems of Australia, the Safran-led Team Sabre, and Babcock Australasia announced in recent months they had also been shortlisted for the effort to design and develop an integrated soldier combat and communications system.
Rheinmetall says it is seeking local industry partners to bolster its Australian Industry Capability (AIC) case, and to this end the company has established a supplier portal for companies to register their interest and capabilities.
“I am impressed by the high degree of innovative technologies being developed by Australian Small to Medium Enterprises,” Rheinmetall Managing Director Gary Stewart said in a company release. “It is important for Rheinmetall to facilitate these companies playing their part in delivering what will be the Australian Army’s best possible future soldier system.
“Rheinmetall understands that it is critical to provide a system architecture that is fully interoperable and that can integrate third party equipment, he added. “Utilising our world class capabilities at the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, QLD, Rheinmetall and our industry partners will be able to develop, integrate and sustain the Australian Army’s best possible future soldier system that helps it fight, survive and win on the modern, complex battlefields of today and tomorrow.”
The company says it is looking to partner with industry in the following areas: Soldier Platform Capabilities such as protective systems, load carriage systems, power and data management, signature management, and translation systems; Robotics and Autonomous Platform Capabilities including load carriage, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, and force protection; and Enhancement Capabilities including innovative and disruptive technologies, improvements and enhancements, health and performance monitoring, and immersive simulation.