Participation in the NATO common market boosts European exports
Shin Sang-beom, President of the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (fifth from left), Lee Yong-bae, President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem (fourth from left), and other officials pose for a commemorative photo after the NATO Quality Assurance System certification ceremony held at Hyundai Rotem’s headquarters in Uiwang on the 13th. Provided by Hyundai Rotem
Hyundai Rotem has become the first Korean defense company to obtain a quality assurance system certification from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Hyundai Rotem announced that on the 13th, at its headquarters in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, it received NATO’s “Allied Quality Assurance Publication (AQAP)-2110” certification for the K2 main battle tank at a NATO Quality Assurance System certification ceremony held together with the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ). The company added that it also obtained certification for the development and production of derivative models based on the K2, including recovery vehicles, bridge-laying tanks, and obstacle-clearing tanks.
AQAP-2110 is a quality assurance standard that must be demonstrated when exporting weapons and other equipment to NATO member states. It is a system similar to Korea’s Defense Quality Management System (DQMS). Obtaining this certification allows participation in the “NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)” common procurement market for weapons among NATO member states. In other words, it is expected to facilitate exports to Europe. President Lee Jae-myung agreed on 7 July, while attending the NATO summit in Türkiye, to begin negotiations on a basic procurement agreement with NATO.
The combined defense expenditure of NATO member states is estimated to account for about 55% of total global defense spending. In particular, at the recent NATO summit, member states agreed on the need to continue increasing defense budgets, and NATO’s defense industry market is expected to expand further. Some analyses suggest that NATO member countries will increase their defense spending by 9.5% annually through 2031.
A Hyundai Rotem official stated, “Since 2024, we have formed an internal task force (TF) and undertaken external training and consulting in preparation for certification,” adding, “This will not only enhance our competitiveness with recognized reliability and technological capabilities in NATO, but also in exports to Middle Eastern and Latin American countries.”
Lee Won-joo
AI-translated with ChatGPT. Provided as is; original Korean text prevails.
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