Hanwha Displays KF21 Fighter Jet Engine in Saudi Arabia... "Showcasing Core Aerospace Technology Capabilities in the Middle East"

Hanwha showcased its core capabilities in the aviation sector, including the engine of South Korea's first fighter jet (KF21), at the 'World Defense Show 2024' held from the 4th to the 8th (local time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and presented the roadmap for next-generation engines. Photo by Hanwha

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Hanwha Group's defense affiliates will showcase cutting-edge aerospace technologies, including fighter jet engines, to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, where security demand is surging due to geopolitical risks.

Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean announced on the 4th that they will participate in the 'World Defense Show 2024 (WDS)' held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the 4th to the 8th, exhibiting core components in the aerospace sector as well as 'land, sea, and air' solutions.

At this exhibition, Hanwha, under the slogan 'Opening the Future of Advanced Engine,' aims to explore mid- to long-term cooperation with Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, which has declared self-reliant defense as a key agenda of its 'Vision 2030.'

At the center of the exhibition hall, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems will display the F414 engine, the 'heart' of Korea's first fighter jet (KF21), the AESA radar known as the 'eye of the fighter,' advanced avionics, and Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) systems, which are aircraft survival systems?demonstrating their core fighter jet component capabilities. By introducing manufacturing expertise accumulated over 40 years in aerospace core components, they plan to seek mid- to long-term cooperation with Saudi Arabia, which has a strong interest in acquiring next-generation fighter jets.

Amid rising tensions in the Middle Eastern maritime region, Hanwha will also present solutions in the marine sector. Hanwha Ocean will showcase the 3,600-ton-class submarine Jangbogo-III, unmanned underwater vehicles, and surface vessels, offering manned and unmanned marine system solutions to pioneer the Middle Eastern market.

Ground equipment that has succeeded in exports to Poland and Australia will also be exhibited. The K9 self-propelled howitzer, equipped for the first time with a domestically produced engine, will be unveiled in the Middle East for the first time. Additionally, the Redback armored vehicle, unmanned reconnaissance vehicles equipped with Cheonggeom, the Tigon, and the Cheonmu rocket system with a range of 290 km will be showcased to expand into the Middle Eastern and African markets.

In response to increasing security risks in the Middle East, the 'Multi-Function Radar (MFR) series' for air defense, capable of quickly neutralizing various aerial threats from the ground, and the 'Anti-Drone System' will also be revealed. Furthermore, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities such as the 'miniaturized SAR satellite' capable of all-weather observation from space, along with ultra-connected, multi-layered network solutions covering space, airspace, ground, and maritime domains using low Earth orbit communication satellites, will be introduced.

A Hanwha official stated, "We will introduce not only land and maritime solutions but also Hanwha's engine technology capabilities to the Middle East, seeking ways to contribute to both countries through self-reliant defense and local industrialization."

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