Huntsman firing a first

When the first Australian-made AS9 Huntsman fired on its distant target, you’d have been forgiven for mistaking it for cracks of thunder, which is fitting considering the name of its Korean predecessor – Hanwha’s ‘K9 Thunder’.

Thirty gunners from Townsville’s 4 Regt, RAA fired the new domestically produced AS9 self-propelled howitzers at the conclusion of a six-week course at the School of Artillery, Puckapunyal, at the end of May.

Going from the production line in Geelong to completion of its first introduction-into-service training course took a matter of months.

Director General Systems and Integration Brig James Davis said the achievement reflected a coordinated effort between Army, the Capability, Acquisition and Sustainment Group, and industry partners to deliver capability at pace.

“This live fire shows how effectively we’re working with our industry and acquisition partners to bring new capability into service,” Brig Davis said.

“To move from an Australian production line to trained crews conducting live fire in a short timeframe is a significant achievement.

“Through strong partnerships, we are delivering modern, Australian-built capability that strengthens Army and contributes to a more self-reliant defence force.”

The AS9 Huntsman is a protected, mobile artillery system capable of delivering accurate fire at range under armour, designed to move, fire and relocate quickly to sustain fire support while reducing vulnerability.

CO School of Artillery Lt-Col Chris D’Aquino said the training marked an important step in introducing the new capability to Army’s workforce.

“This capability enhances how we deliver firepower. It’s protected, mobile and far more responsive than what it replaces,” Lt-Col D’Aquino said.

“For our gunners, this is about building confidence in a new system and learning how to employ it under realistic conditions.

“Training like this ensures we can put capability into soldiers’ hands quickly and safely.”

For many of the soldiers involved, the activity was their first experience firing the AS9 as a complete crew, translating weeks of training into live-fire results on the range.

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