Hanwha and Kongsberg to cooperate on infantry fighting vehicles and long-range precision fires

South Korea’s Hanwha Group and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 14 during the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition in Paris, France. The MoU was signed by Hanwha’s three defense business subsidiaries – Hanwha Defense Corp., Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA), and Hanwha Corporation – and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Norway’s major supplier of defense and aerospace-related systems and solutions.

The Norwegian Defence Material Agency has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for additional Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFVs) and an RFI for Long-Range Precision Fire Systems (LRPFS) will be issued later this year.

Hanwha Defense has proven track records of developing and delivering advanced IFVs such as the K21 in service with the Republic of Korean Army, and the Redback vying for the AUD$18-27 billion project of the LAND 400 Phase 3 for the Australian Defence 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 “seethrough” helmet-mounted display; and composite rubber tracks among others.

The Redback also showcased its all-terrain maneuverability during the South Korean Army’stest trials from April to May, raising the possibility of the service’s operation of the Redback vehicles.

The MoU includes a means for collaborating on LRPFS between Hanwha Corporation, a leading precision-guided weapons developer in South Korea, and Kongsberg Defence & 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.