Hanwha Aerospace Wins Contract to Supply Unmanned Ground Vehicles to Army

Hanwha Aerospace Co. has won the contract to supply unmanned ground vehicles to the Army, Yonhap reported Thursday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said a formal contract for the Arion-SMET platform will be signed in the third quarter of this year.

The Arion-SMET is a multi-purpose, six-wheeled electric combat robot designed to support infantry operations and minimize casualty risks. The vehicles are expected to enter active service between 2027 and 2028. The initial phase of the program is worth about 49.6 billion won.

The total project value could reach 500 billion won depending on future Army procurement demand. The program forms part of the Army's Army TIGER initiative to modernize ground forces with artificial intelligence technology. DAPA had planned to finalize the procurement in June last year but delayed the process amid a dispute with competitor Hyundai Rotem Co.

Hyundai Rotem opted out of the tender in March, citing what it called unfairness in the selection process that favored Hanwha. DAPA said the bidding process was conducted in a fair and lawful manner in line with regulations. The final selection followed a comprehensive review of proposals, field test evaluations and performance verification outcomes.

Hanwha said it had completed DAPA's performance evaluation on key requirements such as maximum speed and cruising range.