Hanwha wins S.Korean military anti-drone system deals

South Korean aerospace and defense maker Hanwha Systems Co. is set to establish a military system to cope with small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones from the North while planning to develop various models of the system for exports.

The unit of the country’s defense-to-chemical conglomerate Hanwha Group said on Friday it has signed two deals worth about 35 billion won ($26.9 million) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for integrated anti-drone facilities in critical areas.

Hanwha Systems plans to build equipment for South Korean forces that identify small UAVs and drones approaching key infrastructure such as airports and install jammers to force those flying objects to go off course or crash by interfering with the radio waves. It will be the first time for the country to deploy such a system. It will also supply a mobile interception system.

The company aims to standardize and upgrade its anti-drone systems while diversifying product lines for export.

“The global anti-drone market is rapidly growing, given increasing drone attacks in conflict areas across the world,” said Park Do-hyun, Hanwha Systems’ head of the command and control business division.

“We aim to provide systems to defend swarm drone attacks with Hanwha System’s world-class technologies of radar, thermal observation devices, AI target identification distinguishing drones and comprehensive multi-layered response capabilities,” Kim said, referring to artificial intelligence.

JAMMING, INTERCEPTION

Hanwha Systems is set to provide 22 sets of drone jamming systems in a 30 billion won deal to detect and incapacitate the UAVs at core infrastructures such as the center of the Seoul metropolitan area and airfields of the Air Force, which urgently need such facilities, industry sources said.

Last year, North Korean drones entered the airspace of the South with one of them coming into the no-fly zone around the presidential office in Seoul, prompting South Korean forces to scramble for fighter jets and attack helicopters. They failed to shoot the drones down, however.

Hanwha System’s jamming system consists of a detection radar, electro-optical and infrared thermal observation devices, a jammer and an integrated console for operations, according to the company.

Separately, in a 5 billion won contract, by December 2024 it is also set to supply 33 sets of systems mounted on military vehicles to jam, capture and intercept drones, industry sources said.

The South Korean forces are expected to share target information through these anti-drone systems, which will be established across the Seoul metropolitan area. The country in September launched the drone operation command.

Write to Dong-Hyun Kim at 3code@hankyung.com
 
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.