Hanwha Aerospace is moving toward becoming a “global top-tier innovation company” encompassing aviation, space, and defense following its merger with Hanwha Defense and the subsequent merger with Hanwha Systems in April 2023. Hanwha Aerospace has been strengthening its global position by increasing the share of exports beyond the domestic market.

Hanwha Aerospace is concentrating its core capabilities and investment on developing unmanned systems in the defense sector, which are emerging as game changers in modern warfare, and on contributing to the force integration of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. In the Army’s multi-purpose unmanned vehicle program promoted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Hanwha Aerospace’s “Arion-Smet” single-handedly completed the final stage, the performance verification test. The multi-purpose unmanned vehicle is a core asset of the Army’s future force system “Army TIGER 4.0,” and the performance verification test is a procedure that verifies six items, including maximum speed and cruising range.

Arion-Smet was selected as a target system for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program and secured a project contract. In 2023, it completed the main test at the U.S. Marine Corps training ground on Oahu Island, Hawaii. To keep Arion-Smet’s core technologies, such as off-road autonomous driving, at a world-class level, Hanwha Aerospace recently established the “Autonomy Hub” and “E-Drive Hub” research centers at KAIST and Hanyang University, respectively.

Hanwha Aerospace plans not only to further develop Arion-Smet (small type) but also to secure a product portfolio of small-, medium-, and large-class wheeled and tracked unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) by 2028 and thereby lead the global market. In February, it agreed to strengthen technological cooperation with Milrem Robotics, a global UGV company.

Following exports of K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems to Poland, Hanwha Aerospace signed a supply contract worth a total of KRW 1.3828 trillion with the Romanian Ministry of National Defence in July last year. Under this contract, it plans to deliver 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles starting in 2027. The contract also includes wheeled vehicles for reconnaissance and meteorological observation, as well as ammunition and other components as part of a “self-propelled howitzer package.”

With this contract, Romania became the 10th country to operate K9 self-propelled howitzers. The cumulative export value of K9 systems (including K10) has exceeded KRW 13 trillion, and the number of NATO member states that have adopted the K9 has expanded to six. In February this year, Hanwha Aerospace held a groundbreaking ceremony for a factory in Petrești, Dâmbovița County, Romania. “H-ACE Europe” is being built on a 181,055㎡ site and will be equipped with an assembly line, performance verification testing facilities, and a 1,751m test track.

Hanwha Aerospace is also targeting overseas markets with its Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), which was selected by the Australian government for its IFV acquisition program. Redback was designed from the early development phase with exports in mind. It rapidly incorporates and supplies specifications requested by partner countries. Redback is manufactured at the H-ACE plant in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

In March last year, Hanwha Aerospace was selected as the preferred negotiation partner for the “Next-Generation Launch Vehicle Development Program – Prime Contractor” project. As the prime contractor for the Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) “Nuri,” it successfully carried out the fourth launch in October last year. Hanwha Aerospace has participated in the development of key technologies—including liquid rocket engines, turbopumps, and valves—since the early stages of the Korean launch vehicle program.

Hanwha Aerospace is also recognized for its technological capabilities in the aircraft engine sector by producing domestic engines installed on the F-15K fighter jet, the T-50 advanced trainer, and the Korean utility helicopter “Surion.” It also produces gas turbine engines such as the LM2500 for naval vessels.

Hanwha Aerospace is also committed to veterans affairs. Last year, together with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification, it conducted the “121723 Taegeukgi That Must Be Found to the End” campaign. “121723” represents the 121,723 soldiers who lost their lives in the Korean War but have not yet returned to their families. Steel leftover from the production of K9 self-propelled howitzers was recycled to create Taegeukgi-shaped badges, embodying the company’s resolve to remember the nation’s heroes to the very end.

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