Hanwha Systems Selected as Preferred Negotiator for ‘SATURN Project’

958 Billion KRW Scale Public Communication Equipment Performance Improvement Project

Hanwha Systems has been selected as the preferred negotiation partner for the 95.8 billion KRW “Air-Ground Communication Radio Performance Improvement Project” led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The air-ground communication radio performance improvement project aims to equip the Army, Navy, and Air Force aviation forces with next-generation radios proven for performance by 2028, in response to rapidly evolving jamming technologies due to advancements in wireless communication.

NATO member countries, centered around the United States, are transitioning to the digital frequency hopping conversion method radio called SATURN as part of equipment modernization policies and security enhancement measures.

SATURN (Second generation Anti-jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO), a “high-speed frequency next-generation anti-jamming tactical communication” system, operates in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band and is optimized for military communications that require rapid and continuous changes in frequency bands and encryption systems. The introduction of SATURN radios, which are the same as those used by allied forces, is expected to reduce the risk of confusion between friendly and enemy forces during wartime and enhance the synergy and operational capabilities of combined ROK-US operations.

To expedite the early deployment of the air-ground communication radio performance improvement, SATURN radios will be installed on five types of independent aviation forces that are not linked with mission computers, starting with the Navy’s maritime operation helicopter LYNX, followed by Army, Navy, and Air Force aircraft.

Hanwha Systems plans to collaborate with domestic and international companies while undertaking ▲SATURN radio system integration and installation ▲localization through technology transfer and production ▲establishment of inspection and testing equipment.

Hanwha Systems, which possesses advanced avionics technology capabilities to respond to future electronic warfare and Network-Centric Warfare (NCW), successfully carried out the project in the early 2000s to apply the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Mode-4 (4th generation) system to the military’s aircraft, ships, and radars. Since 2019, it has been responsible for upgrading the IFF to the latest version, Mode-5 (5th generation).

Kim Jeong-ho, Head of Hanwha Systems Aerospace Division, stated, “Hanwha Systems will incorporate the know-how and technological expertise accumulated from the IFF performance improvement project into the next-generation air-ground communication radio project,” adding, “Together with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, we will contribute to maximizing our military’s operational capabilities and the combined ROK-US operational capabilities by leveraging the high anti-jamming performance of the SATURN equipment.”