Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s leading aerospace and defence corporation, will join the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace (BSDA) 2024 Exhibition and Conference to be held at the ROMAERO Complex in Bucharest, Romania, from 22nd-24th May. This is the first time that Hanwha Aerospace will be participating in the prestigious defence fair in the Black Sea region, representing the company’s ambitious initiatives to build and expand partnerships with Romania and neighbouring countries. In the exhibition, Hanwha Aerospace will display a range of advanced capabilities concentrating to combat vehicles and precision-guided weapons. The Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) will take the centre stage, as the vehicle offers a range of innovative technologies, meeting the requirements of Romania’s military modernisation plans.
“As a trusted partner for Romania, Hanwha Aerospace is fully committed to delivering best quality products and services to support Romania’s military modernisation plans. In addition, we’re dedicated to coming up with plans contributing to the Romanian industry and economy, such as local manufacturing, employment, technology transfer, joint R&D and export marketing,” said Jae Il Son, CEO and President of Hanwha Aerospace.
“With its adaptability and growth potential, the Redback is the world’s most sophisticated IFV featuring best-in-class armoured protection, mobility, and lethality. Besides capabilities, the Redback IFV solution is expected to help bring a massive manufacturing capability to the Romanian market through active industrial partnerships,” said Billy Boohwan Lee, Head of Hanwha Aerospace Europe.
Based on the South Korean Army’s K21 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), the Redback was developed to feature the state-of-the-art technologies and capabilities, which include the in-arm suspension units; the composite rubber track; a hard-kill active protection system; and a see-through helmet mounted situational awareness display. In 2023, the Redback was selected by Australia for the LAND 400 Phase 3 programme to deliver 129 IFVs, with an extensive involvement of Australian supply chains. The Redback is also considered to be a baseline for the South Korean Army’s next-generation IFV development.
The K9 Thunder Self-Propelled Howitzer will also be on display to highlight the equipment’s globally proven capabilities. The 155mm/52-calibre tracked howitzer has so far been adopted by nine countries, including five NATO member states – Poland, Norway, Estonia, Finland and Türkiye. For the K9 programme in Romania, Hanwha Aerospace has formed ‘Team Tunet’ involving Romanian supply chains, representing the company’s strong commitment to maximising economic benefits to the Romanian industry through industrial partnerships. Other products to be presented at BSDA include the K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle, the Chunmoo Multiple Rocket Launcher System; the Chungum (TAipers) tactical guided missile both for manned and unmanned vehicles.
