Hanwha Participates in Poland Defense Exhibition: "Europe-Specialized Land, Sea, and Air Solutions"

Held in Kielce, Poland from the 5th to the 8th

Hanwha, a leading defense company in South Korea, will participate in the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) held from the 5th to the 8th, showcasing a wide range of land, sea, and air defense solutions specialized for the European security environment, including explosive detection and disposal robots, next-generation armored vehicles, and submarines. Photo by Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Group's defense affiliates are presenting security solutions in Poland to expand their presence in the European market. While the first export contracts for the self-propelled howitzer K9 and the guided weapon Cheonmu are being executed smoothly, they are unveiling 'next-generation weapon systems' to actively respond to Europe's security demands based on bilateral cooperation.

Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean, leading defense companies in South Korea, announced on the 4th that they will showcase advanced weapon systems in unmanned and land, sea, air, and space domains at the international defense industry exhibition (MSPO) held in Kielce, Poland, from the 5th to the 8th. This exhibition marks their first joint global event since the launch of Hanwha Aerospace's integrated headquarters in April and Hanwha Ocean's incorporation into the group in May. Notably, at the entrance of the exhibition hall, the Cheonmu system (Polish name HOMAR-K), which combines Hanwha Aerospace's Cheonmu launcher symbolizing bilateral cooperation and a vehicle from Poland's Jelcz company, will be displayed alongside the U.S. multiple launch rocket system HIMARS.

Unmanned Reconnaissance Vehicle Combined with Cheonggeom... “Expanding Operational Range in Europe's Long Border Areas”

Hanwha has set up a large integrated exhibition hall of 375㎡ at the center of the Korean pavilion. At the center, a weapon system featuring an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle equipped with the ground-to-ground guided missile Cheonggeom, a future defense robot under development led by the Agency for Defense Development, will be unveiled for the first time.

Considering Europe's long borders, this system can perform various missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and security in areas where personnel deployment is difficult, replacing soldiers. When reconnaissance assets relay enemy tank location information, operators can control the unmanned reconnaissance vehicle to strike targets within Cheonggeom's range, significantly extending operational distance.

Hanwha Systems will also showcase the Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), which precisely maps underwater terrain, and the Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) Autonomous Underwater Vehicle capable of rendering three-dimensional terrain even in murky waters. These autonomous underwater vehicles operate in swarms, exchanging real-time information with unmanned surface vessels to conduct comprehensive search and reconnaissance missions.

First Reveal of ‘Explosive Detection and Disposal Robot’ for Post-War Preparedness... “Lithium-Ion Submarine Draws Attention”

At this exhibition, Hanwha is presenting advanced defense solutions across land, sea, and air sectors to actively respond to post-war reconstruction and future European weapon replacement demands. The ‘explosive detection and disposal robot,’ soon to be mass-produced domestically and unveiled publicly for the first time, is introduced as a technology to minimize civilian casualties after conflicts and aid Europe's future reconstruction. While improvised explosive device (IED) robots exist overseas, most mine detection is still performed manually by personnel carrying equipment. In contrast, the domestically developed explosive detection and disposal robot is a world-class unmanned device that quickly and safely detects mines without deploying troops.

According to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a German think tank, the cost of rearming Ukraine after the end of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is estimated at approximately 100.5 billion euros (143.77 trillion KRW). Among this, replacement costs for infantry fighting vehicles are expected to exceed 11 trillion KRW, self-propelled howitzers 10 trillion KRW, and multiple launch rocket systems over 5 trillion KRW. Hanwha Aerospace is proposing the Redback, selected as the preferred model by the Australian government in July, as a new alternative to countries planning to acquire armored vehicles such as Poland and Romania, tailored to Europe's security needs.

With increasing global demand for submarine replacements from countries including Poland, the Netherlands, and Canada, Hanwha Ocean is targeting the maritime defense market by exhibiting a model of the 3,000-ton ‘Jangbogo-III Batch-II’ submarine. This model is the world's second diesel hybrid submarine equipped with lithium-ion batteries, tripling submerged endurance compared to conventional lead-acid batteries. The lithium-ion batteries, co-developed with Hanwha Aerospace, and the combat system installed by Hanwha Systems exemplify synergy among affiliates.

Hanwha Aerospace is flawlessly executing the first basic contract signed with Poland last November and established a European subsidiary in Poland in the first half of this year. If a second basic contract is concluded, the company plans to establish a global production base in Poland to meet the rapidly increasing European demand through local production. Hanwha Ocean recently announced its strategy to become a global ‘super-gap defense’ company by investing 900 billion KRW to secure overseas defense bases in Europe and North America. Hanwha Group stated, “We expect next-generation cooperative projects based on Korea-Poland trust at this exhibition,” adding, “We hope the second export will proceed swiftly, marking a milestone for Korean weapon systems to actively contribute to the security of the free world from a European base.”

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