Mk44 Stretch Bushmaster Chain Guns (Mk44S) will be supplied by Northrop Grumman Corporation in collaboration with Hanwha Defence Australia for integration on the Hanwha Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
The contract asks for the production of 129 chain guns, with initial deliveries scheduled to start in 2026, as part of Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 3 program.
The Mk44S gives Australia access to the most cutting-edge ammunition technology by enabling interoperability with Northrop Grumman’s sophisticated ammunition suite, which was created for the US Army and includes the new programmable air burst munition. Around 20,000 Bushmaster Chain Guns are in use globally on land, in the air, and on combat platforms of 65 allied nations.
The Australian Defence Force presently uses chain guns on its ground, air, and sea-based combat platforms; this initiative will carry on the Bushmaster tradition in Australia.
Crew members may counter a variety of ground and airborne threats by quickly selecting the best ammunition from Northrop Grumman’s sophisticated ammunition suite, which includes proximity fuzzed, armour-piercing, and multifunction airburst munition.
