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Hyundai Wia's lightweight 105mm self-propelled howitzer on display at Eurosatory 2026, which opened at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in France on June 15 (local time). / Photo courtesy of Hyundai Wia

Hyundai Wia has entered the overseas defense market by participating in Europe's largest defense industry exhibition. The company plans to expand its order book in Europe, leveraging its lightweight self-propelled howitzer and artificial intelligence (AI)-based Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS).

On June 16, Hyundai Wia announced its participation in "Eurosatory 2026," held at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in France from June 15 to 19 (local time). Eurosatory is one of the largest defense exhibitions in Europe, drawing approximately 2,100 companies from 70 countries this year.

At the exhibition, Hyundai Wia showcased its defense lineup centered around vehicle-mounted firepower systems. The flagship product is the "lightweight 105mm self-propelled howitzer," which mounts an existing 105mm howitzer on a light tactical vehicle. By cutting the weight by more than half compared to existing wheeled self-propelled howitzers, the system offers enhanced mobility and boasts a maximum firing range of 18 kilometers.

Designed to operate as a coordinated system alongside a fire direction vehicle and an ammunition carrier, it enables swift firepower deployment. It can also be transported via helicopter, allowing operational deployment in rugged terrains or mountainous regions where vehicle access is restricted.

The company also displayed a next-generation weapon system, the Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS). The RCWS allows combatants inside a vehicle to identify targets via monitor and fire remotely. Hyundai Wia presented a compact RCWS fitted with a 7.62mm machine gun, integrating an AI-based automatic tracking algorithm to improve target detection and identification capabilities.

In addition, Hyundai Wia exhibited scale models of the 120mm gun barrel for the K2 Black Panther tank and the 155mm gun barrel for the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. As South Korea's sole artillery manufacturer, the company intends to penetrate the European artillery market based on its extensive production experience and precision machining technology for large-caliber weapons.

Alongside its defense systems, mobility technology was introduced. Hyundai Wia unveiled a "two-speed active transfer case (ATC)" designed to boost off-road performance. This component delivers up to 2.7 times higher driving force compared to normal driving modes under extreme off-road conditions, supporting stable maneuvering. It is currently being utilized in military command vehicles based on Kia’s Tasman pickup truck.

Hyundai Wia is focusing on the recent acceleration of military modernization projects across European nations. Demand for artillery systems is rising as countries like Poland and Romania scale up the procurement of new weapon platforms.

"It is highly meaningful to participate in Eurosatory, Europe's largest defense exhibition, for the first time," a Hyundai Wia official said. "By presenting the defense technology we accumulated through manufacturing large-caliber artillery for the K2 tank and K9 howitzer, we will actively pursue order acquisition in overseas markets."

                                                                                                            Nam Hyun-soo