Hanwha Joins Hands with SMEs to Build 'K-UAV Ecosystem'... Exploring Joint Overseas Expansion

Hanwha Aerospace is partnering with domestic small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) partners in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and drone sectors to create a "K-UAV" industry ecosystem. The company plans to serve as a central hub that fosters the domestic supply chain through joint development with global specialized companies, while simultaneously supporting mass production and overseas expansion for SMEs equipped with excellent technological capabilities.

On the 21st, Hanwha Aerospace held a 'Mutual Cooperation Agreement Ceremony' attended by representatives from industry, academia, and research institutes at its Changwon Plant 1 in Changwon Special City, South Gyeongsang Province. The company signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with 43 domestic UAV-related companies, agreeing to establish a cooperative system spanning "development, production, and export" across all fields, including airframes, components, materials, and mission equipment.

The business scope is divided into large UAVs and small-to-medium military drones. In the large UAV sector, Hanwha is co-developing the 'Mojave STOL,' a short takeoff and landing UAV, alongside the US-based global UAV specialist GA-ASI. On the 16th, the Mojave successfully completed a takeoff and landing demonstration using a narrow tank maneuver route at the '2026 Defense Drone Technology Exhibition' in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Hanwha Aerospace plans to establish research and development (R&D) and production infrastructure in South Korea to increase the domestic production share to over 70% during the mass production stage, fostering domestic component partners along the way.

In the small-to-medium military drone sector, Hanwha Aerospace will combine its system integration capabilities and global sales network with the airframe and mission equipment technologies of specialized domestic companies. In particular, the company plans to broaden export opportunities for SMEs by linking them with Hanwha's global business. This includes proposing packaged solutions to overseas markets that combine domestic drones with Hanwha's existing flagship ground weapon systems, such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher.

A Hanwha Aerospace official stated, "We will build a mutually beneficial growth ecosystem that develops and produces UAVs together with domestic companies. We will actively support the excellent technologies of domestic companies so that they lead to large-scale mass production, global exports, and the strengthening of South Korea's defense unmanned system competitiveness."