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.
Bisalloy will develop two new grades of high performance steel at its NSW operations to meet the protection levels required on the Boxer 8x8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, which is now under evaluation by the Commonwealth.
Testing carried out by Bisalloy and Rheinmetall is part of a two-year certification and qualification process to meet the stringent performance standards of armoured steel required by Rheinmetall, considered to be the toughest in the world. To date, only two European steel companies in Europe are qualified to supply steel to meet this standard.
Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director Gary Stewart said the company was proud to deliver the only offer for Land 400 Phase 2 that protected Australian soldiers with high performance steel designed, developed and manufactured by an Australian company, in Australia.
“The development of this new steel underscores the commitment shown by Rheinmetall and Bisalloy to protecting Australian soldiers and ensuring they return home from combat,” Stewart said.
Stewart announced the development before Bisalloy’s employees at the company’s Unanderra facility near Wollongong this week 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.
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.