Hanwha Aerospace and KAI Join Forces to Localize KF-21 and FA-50 Aircraft Armaments

Pursuing System Integration and Joint Marketing
Full-Fledged Cooperation on Localization
MOU Signed for Development Cooperation and Export Expansion

Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will cooperate on the localization and development of aircraft armaments, including long-range air-to-air missiles to be mounted on domestically produced aircraft. The two companies also agreed to pursue joint marketing with the goal of expanding exports of aircraft such as the KF-21 and FA-50, as well as aircraft armaments.

Hanwha-Korea Aerospace Industries Aviation Armament Business Cooperation Agreement. Photo by Hanwha

Hanwha Aerospace announced that on the 9th (local time), it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on business cooperation for aircraft armaments with KAI on the sidelines of the 3rd World Defense Show (WDS) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The signing ceremony, held at the Hanwha booth, was attended by key officials from both companies, including Son Jaeil, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, and Cha Jaebyung, CEO of KAI.

Through this MOU, the two companies agreed to cooperate to systematically integrate aircraft armaments into the KF-21 and FA-50 aircraft platforms, and to carry out joint marketing activities aimed at expanding exports of aircraft and aircraft armaments.

The two companies plan to reliably carry out aircraft armament development programs led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and thereby secure top-tier global technological capabilities. Hanwha Aerospace has previously conducted preliminary research projects overseen by ADD, including long-range air-to-air missiles based on ducted solid-fuel ramjet engines and supersonic air-to-ground and air-to-ship missiles.

Cha Jaebyung, CEO of KAI, said, "As the technological reliability of K-Defense increases, overseas customers are demanding not only aircraft platforms but also the entire operational system as a Korean package," adding, "Domestic defense companies will join forces to expand exports through joint marketing."

Son Jaeil, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said, "By combining our extensive experience in developing various missiles such as air-to-air, air-to-ground, and surface-to-air missiles with KAI's capabilities in overall fighter system integration, we can achieve our goal of developing domestically produced aircraft armaments," and added, "On this basis, we will contribute to the sustainable growth of K-Defense by securing not only the defense of the Republic of Korea's airspace but also the trust of global customers."

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