OrganisationKR

Hanwha

South Korean defence and industrial conglomerate; world's top K9 howitzer exporter and a major LAMD and Cheongung-III prime.

Hanwha Aerospace bought two THeMIS ground robots from Estonia's Milrem Robotics, announced on 7 October 2026, and the pair will bid together for Romania's ground-robot programme. Hanwha already builds its own Arion-SMET robot under a Korean mass-production contract signed on 4 September.

Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Why is South Korea's Hanwha now partnering with an Estonian robot maker?

Timeline for Hanwha

#13 7 Oct

Hanwha buys two Milrem THeMIS robots

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea

#18 31 Aug

Mentioned in: Japan requests 17 MQ-9B drones for 2027

Drones: Industry & Defence

#12 9 Jun

Mentioned in: German AI drone passes US Army test

Drones: Industry & Defence

#9 1 May

Mentioned in: South Korea pulls Iron Dome forward to 2029

Drones: Industry & Defence

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Follow Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea →Follow Drones: Industry & Defence →

Background

Hanwha is a South Korean defence and industrial conglomerate, headquartered in Seoul. Its defence businesses are Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems. Together they cover ground weapons, propulsion, radar, defence electronics, command-and-control systems and Unmanned Ground Vehicles.

Hanwha Aerospace is the leading exporter of the K9 self-propelled howitzer, used by Poland, Finland, Norway, Estonia and Romania among others. It also makes the Arion-SMET ground robot, now under a Korean mass-production contract, and in 2026 started buying and pairing with European robot makers. Hanwha Systems develops radar and other electronics for South Korea's air-defence programmes.

That spread ties Hanwha to both artillery and air-defence supply chains, at home and abroad. South Korea's decision on 1 May 2026 to bring its low-altitude missile-defence programme forward to 2029 kept domestic demand for that air-defence work high.

Key Issues

Ground robots

Hanwha buys a rival robot

Hanwha Aerospace bought two THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicles from Milrem Robotics, Milrem said on 7 October 2026. One goes to research in Korea and the other to Hanwha's Australian operation.

The purchase sits beside Hanwha's own product, not in place of it. On 4 September Hanwha signed a mass-production contract with Korea's procurement agency for the Arion-SMET, its home-built ground robot. The two companies will also bid together for Romania's ground-robot programme, giving Hanwha a European-made vehicle to offer a European buyer. The tie began earlier: in July 2026 Hanwha signed a sensor-integration memorandum with Milrem.

Common Questions

What defence products does Hanwha make and where are they used?

Hanwha Aerospace makes the K9 Thunder howitzer (52% global market share), Cheongung SAM radar/launcher, and propulsion systems. Hanwha Systems makes radar and C4I. K9 is in service across Poland, Finland, Australia, India, Romania, and others.Source: Hanwha newsroom, Army Recognition

How much money does Hanwha Aerospace make from defence exports?

Hanwha Aerospace posted ₩26.61 trillion revenue in 2025; its ground weapons division alone earned ₩8.13 trillion. Cumulative K9 howitzer exports surpassed ₩14 trillion by April 2026.Source: Seoul Economic Daily, Hanwha newsroom

Why did Hanwha lose the Cheongung-III contract to LIG Nex1?

Hanwha scored 0.1 evaluation points below LIG Nex1 in the DAPA assessment for the engagement control system contract. Hanwha retains radar and launcher development roles, the same responsibilities it held on the current-generation Cheongung-II.Source: KED Global

What did Hanwha and Milrem Robotics agree in July 2026?

Hanwha signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Estonia's Milrem Robotics on 2 July 2026 covering sensor and effector integration, part of a wider wave of UGV partnership MoUs that followed Eurosatory 2026 and, like those deals, commits neither side to a government contract.Source: Lowdown

How much market share does Hanwha's K9 howitzer have?

Hanwha's K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer holds a 52% global market share among 155mm self-propelled howitzers, with more than 1,560 units in service across ten-plus countries and cumulative export value surpassing ₩14 trillion by April 2026.Source: Lowdown

Source Material

Hanwha K9/K10 deal with Romania Hanwha Aerospace's K9 Howitzer Exports Surpass 14 Trillion Won

How the World Sees Them

China

Hanwha's radar and missile work for LAMD and Cheongung directly strengthens the defensive architecture aimed at North Korean and, by extension, Chinese second-order threats; Beijing monitors South Korean rearmament closely.

NATO Europe

Poland, Finland, Norway, Estonia, and Romania operate K9 howitzers; Spain and Vietnam are in procurement negotiations in 2026. Hanwha is now the de facto standard-setter for NATO-compatible 155mm SPH.

South Korea

Hanwha's howitzer dominance has become a national point of pride and a diplomatic tool; K9 sales to Finland and Poland cemented Korean defence-industry credibility with NATO members after Russia's 2022 invasion.

Saudi Arabia/Gulf

Hanwha is competing for Gulf artillery and air-defence programmes; its systems are seen as cost-effective alternatives to U.S. or European platforms with lower political conditionality.