[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Essential Communication Gear for 'Anasis 2'... Satellite Terminal Production in Full Swing

Exploring Hanwha Systems' Gumi Satellite Terminal Production Plant
Performance Upgrades for Terminals Due to Military Satellite Launch

Last month, the Hanwha Systems production plant located in Gumi City, Gyeongbuk Province, was strictly secured as expected of a defense company. Entry into the factory was only allowed after completing identity verification by military authorities and signing a security pledge required by the company itself. Upon entering the satellite testing room on the first floor of the main building, there was a 'clean zone' where not a speck of dust could be seen. All visitors had to wear anti-static shoe covers to enter the testing area. Photography was also prohibited to prevent leakage of satellite terminal production know-how.

South Korea, known as an 'IT powerhouse,' began with self-reliance in telephone exchange systems (TDX) and established the 2nd generation mobile communication service (2G) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system in 1996, a digital mobile phone technology developed to overcome the limitations of analog systems that allowed only one call per channel. In 2019, it succeeded in commercializing 5G for the first time in the world.

Military communications are no different. Starting with the Mugunghwa-5 satellite, which was shared with the civilian sector, the military launched the 'ANASIS-II' military communication satellite in 2020. This was the first time South Korea possessed a dedicated military satellite, making it the 10th country in the world to own a military-exclusive satellite.

The Mugunghwa-5 satellite, also known as ANASIS-I, was not exclusively for military use and was vulnerable to radio interference. In contrast, ANASIS-II, being a dedicated military communication satellite, has more than doubled the data transmission capacity compared to Mugunghwa-5. Through this satellite, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces have significantly enhanced communication range, information processing speed, anti-jamming capabilities, and independent operational capabilities. If the era using Mugunghwa-5 is called the '3G era,' then ANASIS-II marks the beginning of the LTE-level communication era.

To use this satellite, soldiers need satellite terminals on the ground. Satellite terminals function like a type of mobile phone. When individual soldiers carry satellite terminals during operations, communication becomes possible anytime and anywhere. Hanwha Systems' Gumi plant produces these advanced satellite terminals.

Access Military Satellite Communications with a Single 'Touch'

The testing room was filled with servers like an IT specialist company. Immediately upon entering, the portable satellite terminal called the 'Military Satellite Communication System-II Ground Terminal' caught the eye. It was a customized terminal designed to use the ANASIS-II satellite. The terminal consisted of a transmitter and receiver antenna each measuring 30 cm in width and height, and a main body functioning like a mobile phone. The total weight was only 5.8 kg, making it convenient for soldiers to carry. The main body, based on the Android OS, requires input of an ID, password, and security module password to operate. At shipment, the user ID is standardized, but once distributed to the military, a unique number assigned by the military must be entered. All have 'touch functionality.'

Senior Researcher Jeon Young-hyun said, “As the number of satellite users increases, performance demands naturally rise. The Military Satellite Communication System-II ground terminal supports large-capacity data transmission and enables integrated voice and data transmission across the entire military without interference.” This means the terminal has reinforced anti-jamming technology, which was a vulnerability in terminals using the Mugunghwa-5 satellite. Anti-jamming technology can block radio interference attacks used by North Korea. Even if North Korea intercepts our military communications infiltrating Pyongyang, they cannot identify the type of radio waves or the content received.

The measuring instrument used to test the terminal resembles a large server. When connected to the terminal, it can simultaneously test 43 items including output and noise. Hanwha Systems developed automated testing equipment, reducing the delivery schedule from the original 5-year plan to 3 years. The production time for one terminal was also shortened from 5 days to 3 days. The defect rate is only 0.5%.

Military Prepares Communication System for 6G Era... Targeting Terminal Market Worth 700 Million Units

As satellites have advanced, terminals have diversified. Since satellites are used in the air, sea, and land, the types have increased. The military is preparing a communication system suitable for the 6G era. Using low-earth orbit communication satellites, it is expected that, unlike ground base stations constrained by space, networks will be accessible freely even in places where mobile communication was previously limited, such as overseas, seas, skies, and deserts.

The industry expects that military technology will accelerate privatization technology as well. Experts emphasize the need to lead not only in satellite systems but also in the 'terminal' business linked with satellites in the ultra-high-speed, low-latency 6G era. Even if dominance in aerial technology is achieved, the importance of terminals used directly on the ground cannot be overlooked. In fact, the private telecommunications industry anticipates that the terminal market will grow in the future satellite communication industry.

Although the global smartphone market has been gradually declining since peaking at 1.5657 billion units shipped in 2017, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) forecasts that the establishment of low-earth orbit satellite communication networks in the 6G era will create a terminal market of about 700 million units. Hanwha Systems is preparing a low-earth orbit satellite-based communication system for use before the 6G era opens, as well as terminals. As the number of satellites and terminals increases, the data volume used by the military will also grow, making communication delays inevitable, which must be prepared for in advance. This is especially critical for integrating land, sea, and air operations with manned and unmanned complex weapon systems.

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