Wollongong-based Bisalloy Steel Group will develop and produce the highest performance armour steel ever manufactured in Australia as part of a bid lodged by Rheinmetall Defence Australia for the Commonwealth of Australia’s Land 400 Phase 2 program.

Work underway on the development and qualification of Bisalloy armoured steel has revealed the need to develop two new grades of steel specific for the protection levels required on the BOXER 8×8 Combat Reconnassance Vehicle, now under evaluation after twelve months of testing by the Commonwealth.

Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director Gary Stewart said the company was proud to offer the only bid for Land 400 Phase 2 that protected Australian soldiers with high performance steel designed, developed and manufactured by an Australian company.

“Under our Land 400 offer, Rheinmetall will work with Bisalloy to certify and qualify armoured steel that meets the high performance levels expected in armoured military vehicles globally and is specific to the level of protection required in the BOXER CRV,” Mr Stewart said.

“The development of new steel by Bisalloy reinforces our focus on partnering with Australian companies to deliver the best possible outcome for the Australian Defence Force through research, development and advanced manufacturing that ultimately builds a sovereign military vehicle capability in Australia.”

Mr Stewart announced the development before Bisalloy’s employees at the company’s Unanderra facility near Wollongong today as part of a company-wide briefing about Rheinmetall’s bid for Land 400 Phase 2 and the BOXER CRV, which was also at the Bisalloy facility for the occasion. BOXER CRV provides Australian soldiers with the best protection and lethality as well as unparalleled modularity to reduce life cycle costs.

Rheinmetall will transfer technology, research and development opportunities to Australia and work with Australian SMEs to deliver this capability to the ADF. The company has already announced a dozen companies within its Land 400 team from NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. These companies have been selected to deliver a range of products and services to support the manufacture of the BOXER CRV in Australia.

Rheinmetall will establish a sovereign military vehicle capability for Australia in Queensland at its proposed Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE). The MILVEHCOE will be the global manufacturing base for the company’s new LYNX Infantry Fighting Vehicle and range of LANCE turrets under its Land 400 offer to the Commonwealth of Australia.

Rheinmetall will also establish an $80 million Technology and Product Development Fund as part of the Australian Industry Capability program for the LAND 400 program. The company has announced research partnerships with the Queensland University of Technology, CSIRO, Swinburne University and the University of South Australia.

BISALLOY Armour steel is a leading product for defence applications in Australia and abroad and is specified for hulls in Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV), Collins Class submarines and the Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles in Australia, along with many APCs and LAVs worldwide.

Listed on the ASX and operating for over 38 years, Bisalloy is Australia’s only manufacturer of high-tensile and abrasion-resistant quenched and tempered steel plate used for armour, structural and wear-resistant steel applications.