{"id":414536,"date":"2026-01-15T11:43:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T11:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/414536\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T11:43:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T11:43:08","slug":"birdon-to-deliver-next-generation-amphibious-vehicles-to-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/414536\/","title":{"rendered":"Birdon to deliver next-generation amphibious vehicles to Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian-owned maritime engineering company Birdon has signed a $125 million contract to design and build one prototype and 15 Amphibious Vehicles \u2013 Logistics (AV-L) for the Australian Army, marking a major milestone in the Land 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Program.<\/p>\n

Birdon press release<\/p>\n

This new fleet of revolutionary amphibious vehicles will replace the Army\u2019s ageing Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vehicle (LARC-V), significantly enhancing the Australian Defence Force<\/a>\u2019s amphibious capabilities with improved speed, safety, reliability and performance.<\/p>\n

Birdon CEO Jamie Bruce said the AV-L contract strengthens Australia\u2019s sovereign defence capability and showcases Birdon\u2019s leadership in innovative maritime and automotive engineering excellence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe project reflects Birdon\u2019s commitment to delivering Defence-ready solutions tailored to Australia\u2019s unique operating environments. It builds on our proven expertise in integrated design, engineering, logistics, and construction,\u201d Mr Bruce said.<\/p>\n

The AV-L design integrates cutting-edge technologies to deliver superior performance across both land and sea. It is engineered to operate as a deep-sea vessel capable of reliable surf zone transitions, while also meeting Australian road safety regulations for on-land mobility.<\/p>\n

Designed to withstand Australia\u2019s harsh environmental conditions, the AV-L can sustain immersion in corrosive saltwater far exceeding the limitation of most amphibious vehicles. It is built to perform in extreme humidity, high temperatures, rough surf zones, and different beach landing zones, ensuring operational readiness in diverse terrains and climates.<\/p>\n

The vehicle\u2019s advanced propulsion and steering systems combine water jet and dynamic drive train technologies, enabling seamless transitions between marsh, clay, and surf environments. Enhanced in-water manoeuvrability, improved speed, and responsive reversing performance allow for agile operations, including rapid rescues in emergency scenarios.<\/p>\n

Operator safety is central to the AV-L\u2019s design. It features a system that automatically detects and adjusts for wheel bogging and slipping, providing the traction needed to exit dangerous wave zones quickly. Shock-absorbing seating and comfort features reduce operator fatigue, while front and rear steering, automatic tyre inflation and self-levelling suspension with ride height control further enhance safety during high-risk missions.<\/p>\n

The AV-L includes a modular payload system with a deck crane, advanced fire safety measures, and a reverse flush system to clear debris from the jet intake. These features ensure the vehicle is not only mission-ready but also adaptable to a wide range of defence and humanitarian applications.<\/p>\n

All AV-L vehicles will be constructed at Birdon\u2019s shipbuilding yard in Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast. Coupled with Birdon\u2019s ongoing investment in growing Australia\u2019s maritime engineering and defence industries, the AV-L project will support local job creation and skills development in regional Australia.<\/p>\n

\u2013 End \u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australian-owned maritime engineering company Birdon has signed a $125 million contract to design and build one prototype and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[15789,64,63,14039,44],"class_list":{"0":"post-414536","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"tag-amphibious-warfare","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australian-defence-force","12":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}