Hanwha Aerospace has participated in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit as part of the delegation and laid the groundwork for expanding European security cooperation and defense industry partnerships.

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 8th that it had taken part in the NATO Defence Industry Forum held in Ankara, Türkiye, on the 7th (local time), where it discussed defense-industry cooperation measures with NATO member states, the global defense sector, and major security think tanks. Discussions reportedly focused on strengthening Europe’s defense production base to cope with the rapidly changing security environment, enhancing supply chain resilience, and expanding industrial cooperation.

This NATO summit, attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of NATO’s 32 allied nations, is being held in Ankara, Türkiye, from the 7th to the 8th of this month. The leaders of four countries, including Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, have been invited as Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4). This year’s NATO summit is expected to focus on key issues such as increases in member states’ defense spending and expansion of defense infrastructure. In line with this, the Korean delegation plans to use the summit as a platform to diversify exports of K-defense systems, concentrating on defense diplomacy and entry into the global security supply chain.

The Defence Industry Forum is a defense-related side event of the NATO summit, where government officials from member states, global defense companies, and policy institutions gather to discuss security issues and industrial cooperation.

In a panel session at the forum, Jacek Cyrek, head of Hanwha Aerospace Europe, emphasized the need to expand defense cooperation between NATO member states and IP4, and the importance of long-term industrial cooperation based on trust. “New technologies, new threats, and a changing geopolitical landscape are reshaping how we view defense, deterrence, and resilience,” Cyrek said, adding, “Strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities requires going beyond mere equipment acquisition to focus on building stable supply chains, reinforcing local production capabilities, and establishing systems for joint development and joint production.”

He continued, “Technology delivers its greatest value when it is built on trust, shared objectives, and strong partnerships,” and stressed, “Hanwha Aerospace is committed to contributing to the creation of a stronger and more resilient NATO defense ecosystem by reinforcing each country’s sovereign defense capabilities and expanding industrial cooperation.”

Cyrek introduced as representative examples of this industrial cooperation strategy the ongoing expansion of local production, technology cooperation, and industrial partnerships in European countries including Poland and Romania. Hanwha Aerospace has successfully established technology cooperation and a joint production system in Poland through the K9 self-propelled howitzer and Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system programs. The company noted that it is contributing to strengthening Europe’s defense production base by pursuing the establishment of a local joint venture (JV) for missile co-production and building an MCS (Modular Charge System) production base. In Romania, it is constructing production facilities for ground defense systems, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer. In Northern Europe, it is expanding technology cooperation and investment centered on the K9 and Chunmoo. In Western Europe, including Germany and France, Hanwha Aerospace is pursuing joint development and technology cooperation, thereby broadening the foundation for defense collaboration across the entire European region.

At the forum, the Korean government also presented a roadmap to advance defense cooperation between Korea and NATO. In a keynote speech at the Defence Industry Forum, President Lee Jae-myung proposed the “Korea-NATO Defense Industry Cooperation Partnership 2.0.” The core of the initiative is to expand cooperation, which has so far centered on weapons systems, into long-term industrial collaboration encompassing joint research and development, joint production, and joint operation. He also emphasized that combining Korea’s stable production capacity and proven technological prowess with NATO’s long-standing know-how could significantly strengthen both sides’ security capabilities.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Aerospace hosted a networking reception on the same day, inviting key government and defense industry officials. The event was attended by more than 150 participants, including major NATO representatives such as members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) and Allied Command Transformation (ACT), a U.S. congressional delegation, global defense companies, leading think tanks, and media representatives.

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