Hanwha Aerospace Wins Army's First Unmanned Ground Vehicle Deal

Hanwha Aerospace has secured South Korea's first domestic procurement program for a multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle, defeating a rival bid from Hyundai Rotem. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) selected the company's Arion-SMET at a committee meeting on July 16, according to defense industry sources.

The first phase of the program is valued at roughly 49.6 billion won (about 50 billion won), under which several dozen vehicles are expected to be delivered. Should the Army's broader "Army Tiger" future combat system expand as planned, follow-on orders could push the total value to around 500 billion won.

Multipurpose unmanned ground vehicles are envisioned as future battlefield platforms capable of surveillance and reconnaissance, combat support and the transport of supplies. They are being pursued as a core asset for building manned-unmanned teaming capabilities across the Army and Marine Corps and for coping with shrinking troop numbers.

The selected Arion-SMET carries a payload capacity of 450 kilograms and is fitted with day-and-night surveillance gear and a remote controlled weapon station (RCWS). Officials assessed that its localization rate of more than 98 percent gives it an edge in later logistics support as well as maintenance and repair.

DAPA had originally sought to sign a contract last year, but the program slipped by about a year amid disagreements among bidders over the evaluation method. The agency now plans to conclude the contract in the third quarter of this year and to field the vehicles between 2027 and 2028.

The win adds momentum to Hanwha Aerospace's growing defense portfolio and positions the company at the center of the Army's modernization drive as it moves toward more automated, unmanned front-line operations.