[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Hanwha Defense Sector's Consecutive Jackpot Orders... The Secret Behind It

Hanwha Systems has effectively secured the combat system and Integrated Mast (MFR) projects in the 7 trillion won-scale Korean next-generation destroyer (KDDX) program.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer is a representative defense export equipment of South Korea, with over 1,700 units operated worldwide, including domestically.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Amid sluggish corporate performance due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Hanwha Group is drawing attention by hitting a 'jackpot' in the domestic and overseas defense sectors. In the domestic business, the group bet on a 'focused strategy,' while overseas, a 'customized export strategy' tailored to local conditions is cited as a key factor for success.

Hanwha Defense, a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, announced on the 2nd that the K9 self-propelled howitzer has been selected as the sole candidate for the Australian Army's self-propelled howitzer acquisition project. The Australian government has allocated a budget of about 1 trillion won for this project, which involves acquiring 30 K9 self-propelled howitzers, 15 K10 ammunition resupply armored vehicles, and other support equipment.

In 2010, as part of the 'LAND 17 Project,' Australia promoted a self-propelled howitzer acquisition project and selected Hanwha Defense's K9 self-propelled howitzer as the preferred negotiation candidate. However, the project was canceled as the Australian government prioritized budget allocation for flood damage recovery in Queensland in January 2011. Therefore, with Australia selecting the K9 as the sole candidate this time, the path for re-export has opened after 10 years.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer is a representative Korean defense export equipment, with over 1,700 units operated worldwide, including domestically. It was first exported to Turkey in 2001, followed by Poland, India, Finland, Norway, and Estonia. A Hanwha Defense official said, "Establishing an Australian subsidiary, planning to build local production facilities, and exploring various support measures to revitalize the Australian defense industry are also analyzed as factors influencing this candidate selection." The Australian government also gave a positive evaluation, expecting about 350 jobs to be created in the Geelong area of Victoria if local production facilities for the self-propelled howitzers are established.

In the domestic business, Hanwha Systems is taking the lead by leveraging its accumulated system construction strategies. Recently, it has virtually secured the combat system and integrated master (MFR) projects in the 7 trillion won Korean next-generation destroyer (KDDX) project. The contract size is expected to exceed 750 billion won. By winning the combat system project, which serves as the brain of the KDDX, Hanwha Systems plans to collaborate with Hyundai Heavy Industries, which builds the ships, to construct six KDDX vessels. The KDDX is a 6,000-ton class ship smaller than the Navy's Aegis destroyer (7,600-ton class) and is called a 'mini Aegis ship' capable of performing basic missions such as missile interception.

Hanwha Systems has accumulated technology in the ship combat system field. It has utilized experience in deploying combat systems on over 80 vessels of the Korean Navy over the past 30 years, including destroyers, frigates, high-speed patrol boats, and submarines. It is also undertaking the development project of the combat management system for the Ulsan-class next-generation frigate Batch-III, which integrates a four-sided fixed multifunction phased array radar and infrared detection and tracking equipment into a composite sensor mast.

Hanwha Systems will also participate in the third mass production project of the Army Tactical Information Communication Network (TICN) starting in October, with a scale of 460 billion won. TICN is the largest project of the Army, with over 5 trillion won of government budget expected to be invested from this year through 2023. Additionally, Hanwha Systems is determined to establish a foothold in the aviation sector by successfully developing the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a core component of the Korean next-generation fighter (KF-X). According to the Ministry of National Defense's recently announced '21-25 Defense Mid-term Plan,' the AESA radar will be applied not only to the KF-X project but also to upgrades of existing F-16 and F-15 fighter radars.

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