Redback armored combat vehicle gets a 40mm turret and counter-drone capability

Hanwha Aerospace and Lockheed Martin UK have unveiled a new version of the Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) combining a British-built 40mm turret with counter-drone technology. The companies presented the configuration at Defense Vehicle Dynamics 2026 in Millbrook, England, as they look to offer the Redback to NATO countries seeking to modernize armored and reconnaissance forces. A different Redback for NATO The new vehicle retains the tracked Redback hull but replaces the configuration selected by Australia with Lockheed Martin UK’s crewed turret. The turret carries a CTA International 40mm cannon, giving the vehicle a different weapons setup from the Australian Redback’s 30mm cannon. The turret was developed and integrated at Lockheed Martin UK’s Bedfordshire facility. The choice of the 40mm weapon also gives the vehicle access to a range of NATO-qualified ammunition. Hanwha’s Byunggil Lee said the company selected the cannon for the flexibility its ammunition types provide. The Australian Army’s Redback, by comparison, uses a Northrop Grumman Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon, along with Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles and other systems. Australia has contracted Hanwha Defense Australia for 129 Redbacks under the LAND 400 Phase 3 program. Turning the IFV into a counter-drone platform The more significant change may be the addition of Lockheed Martin UK’s SkyKeeper command-and-control system. SkyKeeper is designed as a battlefield command-and-control system for ground-based air defense and counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (C-UAS). Lockheed Martin says it can combine information from multiple sensors and coordinate kinetic and non-kinetic effectors. It is also designed to operate through the UK’s Generic Vehicle Architecture. For the Redback, SkyKeeper has been integrated directly into the turret architecture for the first time. The companies say this gives the vehicle a dual role: conventional infantry fighting and counter-UAS operations. That reflects a growing challenge for armored formations. Small drones can provide persistent reconnaissance and can also carry explosives, forcing armored units to contend with aerial threats alongside conventional ground targets. Adding counter-drone command and control to an IFV could let the vehicle participate in a wider air picture rather than relying solely on its own sensors. However, the companies have not publicly disclosed the complete sensor, effector, or engagement architecture of the new Redback configuration. Designed for different customers The new version is not intended to replace Australia’s Redback configuration. Instead, it gives Hanwha another configuration it can adapt to individual customer requirements. The company plans to conduct live demonstrations in 2027, including in Canada and South Korea, as they pursue potential NATO and allied customers. The approach also takes advantage of the Redback’s existing development. Australia selected the vehicle in 2023, and its 129-vehicle program is scheduled to be built locally in Australia. For Hanwha and Lockheed Martin UK, the new configuration is therefore less about creating an entirely new IFV than showing how an existing armored platform can be reconfigured around changing battlefield requirements. The combination of a 40mm cannon and integrated counter-drone command system gives NATO customers another Redback configuration to consider as armored forces increasingly have to defend against threats arriving from both the ground and the air. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories. His writing covers technology, sustainability, geopolitics, and occasionally fiction. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, his work has appeared in the Times of India and beyond. After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently. Outside work, he juggles far too many projects and passions, but always makes time to read, reflect, and hold onto the thread of wonder.