Birdon to build next-gen amphibious vehicles for Australia

January 19, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Australian-owned maritime engineering company Birdon has signed a $125 million contract with the Australian Government to design and build one prototype and 15 amphibious vehicles – logistics (AV-L).

The new AV-L fleet represents a substantial leap in performance, safety and reliability, tailored specifically to Australia’s demanding and varied operating environments.

Designed to move seamlessly between land, surf and open water, the platform bridges the gap between deep-sea vessel capability and on-road mobility, while fully complying with Australian safety and regulatory standards.

The units will be operated by the Australian Army under the Land 8710 – Littoral Manoeuvre program, marking the end of the service life of the army’s long-standing LARC-V capability.

Built to operate where conditions are most demanding, the AV-L is designed to perform reliably in high heat, intense humidity and corrosive saltwater. It is capable of operating through heavy surf and across varied coastal terrain, maintaining consistent performance across Australia’s expansive littoral environment.

Its propulsion, steering, and traction systems are optimized to ensure smooth movement between marshland, beach, and surf zones, while improving handling in the water and providing greater control during recoveries and emergencies.

According to Birdon, safety has been a defining consideration throughout the vehicle’s development. Onboard systems continuously manage traction and stability, helping to minimize crew fatigue and maintain vehicle control during complex or high-risk operations, drawing on operational experience accumulated over decades of amphibious service.

Beyond its core transport role, the AV-L has been conceived as a highly adaptable platform. A modular payload architecture, deck crane, and reconfigurable layout allow the vehicle to support a broad spectrum of defense tasks as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, reinforcing its value as a flexible logistics and resupply asset, it was highlighted.

All vehicles will be designed and constructed at Birdon’s Port Macquarie shipyard.

For the Australian Army, the AV-L program not only modernizes a critical capability but also underscores a broader shift toward resilient, domestically supported platforms tailored to the realities of the Indo-Pacific operating environment, it was concluded.