Hanwha Aerospace secures tech to catch illegal drones using nets

South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co. has secured technology to respond to threats from unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones.

The company seeks the ability to automatically detect, identify and neutralize illegal drones if the threat of drone-using terrorist attacks increases.

Hanwha Aerospace on Wednesday said it invested in Fortem Technologies, a US specialist in air defense and security, through a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE).

The American company received combined investment of $17.8 million (22.5 billion won), half of which is said to have come from Hanwha Aerospace. Leading American defense contractor Lockheed Martin also took part in the investment separately.

SAFE is an investment method of advance purchase in which the investment is paid upfront and shares are acquired at a later discounted price, mainly for quickly buying stakes in promising startups.

Fortem Technologies' anti-drone defense system first detects illegal drones with its self-developed radar using artificial intelligence software, after which it launches self-driving drones to capture and neutralize them with nets.

Because this method does not destroy drones, collateral damage caused by falling drone fragments is prevented.

Hanwha Aerospace will also cooperate with its American partner to secure drone response technology integrated with weapons systems and develop a collision avoidance function for urban air mobility.

A global market research firm said the world market for drone response will jump from $1.4 billion in 2021 to $12.6 billion in 2030.

"We will secure world-class drone response technology to protect national security as a national defense company and develop our weapons systems to match that of the global top tier," a Hanwha Aerospace source said.

Write to Seo-Woo Jang at suwu@hankyung.com