[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Korea-India Defense Industry Cooperation Agreement... Key Target Weapons

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] South Korea and India have reached a final agreement on the 'Defense Industry Cooperation Roadmap.' The agreement includes deregulation for Korean defense companies entering India and cooperation in various weapons research, development, and testing.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 5th, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held a defense ministerial meeting on the 4th (local time) in New Delhi, India, and agreed on these matters.

The Defense Industry Cooperation Roadmap specifies areas for development in defense cooperation such as ground, naval, and aerial weapons research, development, testing, and government certification. When Korean defense companies enter India, the Indian government will provide various deregulations and policy support according to the 'Make in India' campaign. The roadmap also includes the formation of a working committee to manage the implementation of this roadmap between the two countries.

Minister Jeong urged special attention to Korean companies participating in the 'DEFEXPO 2020' defense exhibition held in India. More than 700 companies from over 30 countries worldwide are participating in this exhibition. Twelve Korean companies, including Hanwha Defense, Korea Aerospace Industries, and LIG Nex1, also participated.

India is the world's second-largest arms importer and ranks fourth in defense spending. Recently, the Indian government announced an investment plan of $13 billion (approximately 15.03 trillion KRW) over the next 5 to 7 years for military modernization, making it a market that attracts global defense companies.

One of the major projects that domestic defense companies are focusing on in the Indian defense market is the submarine construction project. The Indian Navy has placed an order worth $7 billion (approximately 8.1 trillion KRW). Five companies have entered this project: Russia's Rosoboronexport, Spain's Navantia, France's Naval Group, Germany's ThyssenKrupp, and South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. If Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering wins the Indian submarine project, it is highly likely to be recorded as the largest defense export in South Korean history.

Hanwha's defense affiliates, Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Defense, and Hanwha Systems, have also launched market penetration efforts. Hanwha exhibited the actual 'Biho Complex,' a strong candidate for the Indian Army's short-range surface-to-air guided missile procurement project. India is about to make a final decision on the procurement of surface-to-air guided missiles worth approximately 3 trillion KRW.

The Biho Complex is an air defense weapon system equipped with guided missiles on the existing Biho platform. It uses a 30mm twin-barrel gun and guided missiles to intercept low-altitude infiltrating enemy aircraft, helicopters, and drones. Hanwha stated that it demonstrated excellent performance in a test evaluation for the Indian Army in December 2017.

Additionally, models of various equipment such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer, which has achieved export success in India, a towed anti-aircraft gun developed by Hanwha Defense tailored to the Indian Air Force project, the Redback, selected as one of the final two candidates for Australia's future tracked armored vehicle project, and the new 6x6 wheeled armored vehicle Tigon were also showcased.

LIG Nex1 introduced precision guided weapons optimized for local air defense, maritime, and land environments, including the portable surface-to-air guided missile 'Shingung' mounted on the Biho Complex air defense weapon system, the 2.75-inch guided rocket 'Bigung,' the anti-ship guided missile 'Haeseong,' the anti-ship missile defense guided missile 'Haegung,' and the infantry medium-range guided missile 'Hyeongung.' They also exhibited export-type communication equipment with enhanced security and performance.

Kim Ji-chan, CEO of LIG Nex1, said, “LIG Nex1 is continuously striving to pioneer new markets and expand defense exports based on world-class product competitiveness,” adding, “Participation in India’s largest defense exhibition is hoped to be an opportunity for the domestic defense industry to leap into the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.