Seong Il, President of Hanwha Aerospace Middle East & Africa (left), and Khaled Al Zaabi, President of Platform Systems at EDGE Group, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding for mutual cooperation, including the establishment of UAE defense AI and integrated multi-layered air defense network cooperation, at the Dubai Airshow.
Hanwha is strengthening its defense sector cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state-owned enterprises. The establishment of a joint venture is also being considered.
Hanwha announced on the 21st that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint investment and development in the defense sector with EDGE Group, a local state-owned defense company, at the 'Dubai Airshow 2025' held in Dubai, UAE.
As a follow-up to the expansion of advanced defense and industrial cooperation between Korea and the UAE discussed at the recent Korea-UAE summit, the plan is to actively support the policy pursued by the Korean government through achievements in the private sector. President Lee Jae-myung made a state visit to the UAE from the 17th to the 19th, receiving the highest level of hospitality. During the summit with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, they agreed to develop a 'special strategic partnership' in fields including defense, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy. Notably, Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha, joined the economic delegation for this state visit and attended the 'Korea-UAE Business Roundtable'.
President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung made a state visit to the UAE from the 17th to the 19th. Newsis.
Under the MOU, Hanwha and EDGE Group will jointly develop an AI platform to be applied to smart radars and autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). The plan is to develop a smart radar AI platform tailored to the Middle Eastern operational environment by combining real-world target and battlefield data accumulated in the UAE desert environment with Hanwha's AI model.
Milrem Robotics, an unmanned ground systems company under EDGE Group, will collaborate on developing an AI platform for autonomous UGVs by integrating real-world data from the tracked UGV 'THeMIS', which is currently in operation, with Hanwha's AI technology. THeMIS is reported to have secured various real-world data while performing missions on the battlefield in Ukraine. It is expected that combining it with Hanwha's AI model will enable the acquisition of autonomous driving technology customized for the Middle East.
Hanwha Air Defense Weapon System
In addition to AI cooperation, Hanwha will also support the upgrade of the UAE's multi-layered air defense network and the establishment of an integrated air defense MRO center. Through air defense system cooperation, efforts will be made to strengthen the UAE's air defense capabilities and build an integrated air defense network that interlinks with existing medium- and short-range systems. The plan also includes establishing an integrated MRO cluster in the UAE to create a long-term, self-reliant air defense operation system.
Shipbuilding cooperation will also be expanded. Discussions include repairing large merchant ships, jointly developing and producing unmanned vessels, and designing and constructing large warships through cooperation with the UAE state-owned shipyard ADSB.
Seong Il, President of Hanwha Aerospace Middle East & Africa, stated, "Through the Korea-UAE AI technology alliance, it is expected that Korea will realize its goal of becoming one of the world's top three defense AI powerhouses," adding, "If necessary, the establishment of a joint venture to accelerate defense AI technology cooperation between the two countries can also be considered."
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