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| Ryu Young-kwan, from left, senior executive vice president of Hanwha Corp.'s defense division; Son Jae-il, president and CEO of Hanwha Defense, Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and Richard Cho, managing director of Hanwha Defense Australia, pose during a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on infantry fighting vehicles and long-range precision firing systems during the Eurosatory 2022 defense exhibition in Paris, June 14. Courtesy of Hanwha Defense |
By Kang Seung-woo
Hanwha Group and Norway's Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in infantry fighting vehicles and long-range precision firing systems during the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition in Paris, France, June 14.
The MoU was signed by Hanwha's three defense business subsidiaries ― Hanwha Defense, Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) and Hanwha Corp. ― and Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, Norway's major supplier of defense and aerospace-related systems and solutions.
The Norwegian Defense Material Agency has issued a request for information (RFI) for additional infantry fighting vehicle (IFVs). An RFI for long-range precision firing systems (LRPFS) will be issued later this year.
Hanwha Defense has a proven track record of developing and delivering advanced IFVs such as the K21 in service with the Korean Army, and the Redback vying for the $18-27 billion project of the LAND 400 Phase 3 for the Australian Defense Force (ADF).
Participating in the risk mitigation activity operated by the ADF in 2021, the Redback successfully demonstrated its lethality, mobility and survivability, featuring its innovative technologies, including the Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system, the Iron Vision "see-through" helmet-mounted display and composite rubber tracks among others.
The Redback also showcased its all-terrain maneuverability during the Korean Army's test trials from April to May, raising the possibility of the service's operation of the armored infantry vehicles.
The MoU includes a means for collaborating on LRPFS between Hanwha Corp., a leading precision-guided weapons developer in South Korea, and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
"This MoU confirms our ongoing work with Kongsberg on different programs, including Australia and internationally, bringing together best of breed technology solutions from all companies," Richard Cho, HDA Managing Director said.
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