Hanwha Ranks 16th Globally, Top Among Korean Companies
A Cheongung-II surface-to-air guided missile is launched toward a virtual target during a live-fire missile interception exercise held in the West Sea region on the 6th. Provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff
All four of South Korea’s major defense companies have been included in the “Top 100 Defense Companies 2026” list compiled by a U.S. military specialist publication.
On 31 August (local time), U.S. defense and security media outlet “Defense News” released its ranking of the world’s top 100 defense companies based on 2025 revenue. According to the list, Hanwha ranked 16th with last year’s defense-sector revenue of USD 10,437.63 million (approximately KRW 14.31 trillion), climbing six spots in just one year.
LIG D&A (formerly LIG Nex1) ranked 52nd with USD 3,029.23 million, and Hyundai Rotem came in 61st with USD 2,464.09 million. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which posted revenue of USD 1,862.62 million last year, ranked 74th.
The country with the largest number of companies in the global top 100 defense firms was the United States, with 50 companies. Including Lockheed Martin, which ranked first with defense revenue of USD 75,048 million (approximately KRW 102.7876 trillion), the world’s top four companies were all U.S. defense contractors. The United Kingdom and France each had six companies in the top 100, while China and Türkiye each had five. Germany, like South Korea, had four companies included in the rankings.
Lee Won-joo
AI-translated with ChatGPT. Provided as is; original Korean text prevails.
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