CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Australian Army fired an AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzer on home soil for the first time this month, as crews have begun intensive training on the new artillery system before it rolls into service.

The Huntsman will eventually equip the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade, a formation undergoing a dramatic transformation as a plethora of new equipment is set to arrive.

Australia has never operated a self-propelled howitzer before, and the weapon extends the range of the army’s tube artillery to around 25 miles. The AS9 is an Australianized version of the K9 from Hanwha Aerospace in South Korea.

Maj. Gen. Jason Blain, the head of land systems at the Australian Ministry of Defence, described the AS9 as a “highly mobile, protected and potent self-propel

See Full Page