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Baek Ki-bong, head of the PGM2 Business Division at Hanwha Aerospace, and Baek Joong-hyun, head of the Fixed-Wing Aircraft Business Office 1 under the Domestic Business Division at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), pose for a commemorative photo at the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on business cooperation for KF-21 long-range air-to-air missile development, held at KAI headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. / Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) are strengthening cooperation to integrate domestic airborne weapons, including long-range air-to-air guided missiles, into the KF-21 Boramae.

Hanwha Aerospace and KAI announced on the 23rd that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation toward the successful development of a long-range air-to-air missile system.

Under the agreement, the two companies plan to collaborate closely to ensure the successful development of long-range air-to-air missiles and their integration onto the KF-21. Through this partnership, they aim to support the stable development, mounting, and operational deployment of indigenous airborne weaponry on the fighter.

The two defense firms have previously collaborated throughout the development and manufacturing of indigenous aircraft. The KF-21, South Korea's first domestically developed fighter that completed system development in June, incorporates Hanwha Aerospace's aero-engines, landing gear, and flight control systems. Hanwha Systems supplies key avionics, including the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, electro-optical targeting pod (EO-TGP), infrared search and track (IRST) system, and mission computer (MC).

Hanwha Aerospace has made sustained investments to secure technical capabilities for participating in the long-range air-to-air missile system development project. It is currently involved in a government-led development program to secure interface design technology between air-to-air missiles for aircraft integration by the first half of next year.

Furthermore, since 2021, the company has accumulated relevant expertise by executing five out of six projects related to solid ducted ramjet engines applicable to long-range air-to-air missiles, including supersonic air-to-air missiles and supersonic cruise aerial targets.

An official from Hanwha Aerospace remarked, "As South Korea's leading developer and manufacturer of solid-propellant guided missiles, we will commit company-wide efforts based on accumulated technology and experience toward the successful domestic development of long-range air-to-air missiles, which directly determine the core competitiveness of indigenous fighter jets. We will also contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of domestic airborne armaments through sustained inter-company cooperation."

                                                                                                          Kim So-young