Hyundai Rotem Exhibits Future Warfare Weapons Including Unmanned Vehicles and Next-Generation Tanks at DX Korea

Hyundai Rotem booth at the '2020 Korea Defense Industry Exhibition (DX Korea 2020)'

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Rotem announced on the 18th that it will participate in the '2020 Defense Expo Korea (DX Korea 2020)' held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do.

DX Korea is the largest domestic ground weapons exhibition held biennially since 2014, with over 200 companies from 20 countries participating this year.

During the exhibition, Hyundai Rotem plans to showcase its advanced technology products such as the main product K2 tank, upgraded wheeled armored vehicle, and multipurpose unmanned vehicle (HR-Sherpa) to domestic and international military and defense industry officials, aiming to open new order opportunities.

The Middle East version of the K2 tank exhibited in person this time features improved cooling performance of the powerpack, which combines the engine and transmission, and applies high-temperature tracks to secure mobility performance even in the high-temperature environment of the Middle East.

Additionally, Hyundai Rotem will also present the upgraded wheeled armored vehicle equipped with a Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS). The upgraded wheeled armored vehicle enhances protection capabilities against anti-tank mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by adding RCWS to the existing wheeled armored vehicle (K808, K806) platform, improving product operability and soldier survivability.

In particular, Hyundai Rotem will introduce the future direction of unmanned system development that can minimize human casualties by showcasing the multipurpose unmanned vehicle HR-Sherpa and the 360-degree situational awareness device, advanced weapon systems incorporating 4th industrial technologies, at the center of the exhibition hall.

The HR-Sherpa, a multipurpose vehicle for both civilian and military use, is an electric-driven vehicle powered by batteries and can be remotely controlled through short- and long-range control devices. It is equipped with autonomous driving functions such as dependent driving that automatically follows soldiers in front of the vehicle, and can be used diversely for civilian and military purposes such as fire support, surveillance reconnaissance, and logistics transport.

The 360-degree situational awareness device installs cameras outside the vehicle to observe the surrounding 360-degree video inside the vehicle through a Head Mounted Display (HMD). When the 360-degree situational awareness device is installed on ground combat vehicles such as tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery that have been militarized, it can maximize survivability by minimizing crew exposure to the outside.

In addition, Hyundai Rotem will introduce the performance and functions of various products including ▲ the '360-degree situational awareness device' that allows viewing of surrounding 360-degree video inside the vehicle, ▲ the 'next-generation tank' capable of AI-based manned and unmanned combined operation, ▲ the 'obstacle-clearing tank' capable of removing mines and obstacles, and ▲ the 'K2PL' optimized for the Polish tank project.

A Hyundai Rotem official said, "Through this exhibition, we will actively introduce various products such as HR-Sherpa and the Middle East version of the K2 tank to domestic and international defense industry officials and strive to secure orders for weapon systems."