[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Preview of New Weapons at ADEX Exhibition

2320 Booths in 250,000㎡ Area for 550 Companies
Domestic Advanced Technology-Integrated Weapon Systems at a Glance

‘Seoul ADEX 2023,’ the largest aerospace and defense industry exhibition in Korea, opens on the 17th at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Seoul ADEX Joint Operations Headquarters, Seoul ADEX, held biennially, is hosting its 14th event this year, marking the largest scale ever in terms of participating companies, exhibition area, and visitors. There are 550 participating companies with 2,320 exhibition booths spread over 250,000 square meters. It is expected that 300,000 visitors will attend. The foreign delegations are also the largest ever, with representatives from 55 countries totaling 114 people. Defense ministers from nine countries including Malaysia, Australia, and Iraq, as well as air force chiefs from 14 countries, will attend.

At this exhibition, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has arranged its pavilion to allow visitors to see KAI’s past, present, and future at a glance along the visitor flow. First, in the ‘Legacy Zone,’ a model of the ‘Revival’ aircraft, Korea’s first domestically produced aircraft celebrating its 70th anniversary since its first flight, is displayed. Alongside, the main lineup of domestically produced aircraft that inherit the spirit of the Revival aircraft ? including the ▲KT-1 ▲T-50 ▲Surion ▲KF-21 ? as well as future aircraft such as the manned-unmanned combined system AAV are unveiled. KAI continues fixed-wing aircraft marketing targeting European countries replacing aging fighters, using Poland as a base. This exhibition is expected to boost exports of rotary-wing aircraft, including expansion into Southeast Asia.

Hanwha Aerospace is exhibiting the K-239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system and the AS-21 Redback infantry fighting vehicle, which was selected as the preferred bidder for the Australian Army’s infantry fighting vehicle project. If the final contract is signed, the Redback is expected to be produced alongside the AS-9 Huntsman, a K-9 based self-propelled howitzer, in Geelong, Australia.

Hyundai Rotem will unveil the actual 30-ton class wheeled armored vehicle currently under development for the first time.

Hyundai Rotem is unveiling the actual 30-ton class wheeled armored vehicle currently under development for the first time. The multipurpose unmanned vehicle concept car ‘U-POD’ is also being introduced for the first time. The booth features the K-2 and its variants, upgraded K-808 wheeled armored vehicles, and multipurpose unmanned vehicles.

The 30-ton class wheeled armored vehicle is a model under independent development focusing on enhanced protection. This armored vehicle can be equipped with various armaments, including medium-caliber turrets and large-caliber turrets. It is also equipped with a high-performance water jet propulsion propeller, enabling waterborne operations.

Long-range Air-Launched Cruise Missile (KALCM, center), KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb, left), and FA-50 AESA Radar (right) (Photo by LIG Nex1)

LIG Nex1 plans to showcase its latest technologies and experience under the slogan ‘Smarter Together,’ including ▲airborne weapon systems and radars or systems mounted on domestic fighter jets ▲air defense systems ▲space satellite fields ▲drone and counter-drone integrated systems ▲future air mobility (AAM) sectors. Export-focused products will have a dedicated exhibition space to actively target overseas markets. The infantry medium-range guided weapon ‘Hyeongung’ and a Hyeongung simulator allowing visitors to experience launching will be displayed. Additionally, the 2.75-inch guided rocket ‘Bigung’ for coastal defense and the ‘130mm guided rocket-II,’ an upgraded version of the ship-to-ship guided missile ‘Biryong’ with precise anti-ship and land strike capabilities, will also be exhibited.

Director Son Juhyun, Head of Special Development Sales at SNT Motive (left of the Minister), is explaining the K13 submachine gun (STC16 special operations submachine gun) to Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense. (Photo by SNT Motive)

SNT Motiv will present a variety of firearms at this exhibition, including the STC16 special operations submachine gun, which signed a supply contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in May, as well as the STSM21 submachine gun, K15 PARA machine gun, and STP9 pistol. In addition, semi-automatic sniper rifles and low-risk pistols supplied to the police will be displayed, reinforcing its status as a ‘global full-line small-caliber firearms manufacturer’ with excellent technology. The ‘STC16 special operations submachine gun’ was developed using proprietary technology applying global trends in rifle development. In particular, the domestically produced rifle, enhanced in accuracy and durability based on the latest manufacturing technology, is expected to be recognized for excellence not only by the Korean military but also in the global market.

Korean Air 'Seoul ADEX 2023' Exhibition Booth

Korean Air is exhibiting mid-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle prototypes, division-level UAVs, launchers, and ground control vehicles in the outdoor exhibition area. Indoors, it will showcase various platforms including multipurpose stealth UAVs, low-observable unmanned swarm aircraft, and tactical division-level UAVs. As a system integrator covering launch vehicles and military aircraft performance upgrade projects, Korean Air plans to share its related business vision.

In the ‘Space Hub Zone,’ Hanwha Group presents command and reconnaissance solutions for space business ranging from launch vehicles to observation and communication satellites and exploration. The thrust engines of Nuri, Korea’s first independent space launch vehicle, and Danuri, Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s first lunar orbit explorer, are on display.

Hanwha Systems’ three types of satellites capable of observation and communication outside the atmosphere and three types of radars capable of detecting ground attacks are also unveiled. The high-performance synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite can acquire high-resolution images even in bad weather during day and night. The infrared (IR) satellite quickly detects enemy attacks using infrared signals. Utilizing over 630 low-earth orbit communication satellites built by OneWeb, a satellite communication company invested in by Hanwha Systems, uninterrupted communication is possible even if ground communication networks are destroyed, providing real-time battlefield information.

Hanwha’s small armed helicopter (LAH) engine and the F414 engine applied to the Korean fighter KF-21 are exhibited. The F414 engine is domestically produced under license from the U.S. GE by Hanwha Aerospace. Hanwha Aerospace has experience producing over 9,800 aircraft engines over the past 40 years.

Unmanned technologies for future warfare are also showcased. This includes the concept of future combat vehicles such as the Korean next-generation infantry fighting vehicle, which will incorporate AI-based manned-unmanned combined operation technology. Unmanned reconnaissance vehicles deployed ahead of personnel in operational areas can be equipped with various devices such as remote fire control systems, mine detectors, guided missiles, and lasers.

Hanwha's aerospace and defense affiliate will participate in the 'Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (Seoul ADEX) 2023' held from the 17th to the 22nd at Seoul Airport in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Hanwha Aerospace’s next-generation military unmanned vehicle Arion-SMET, which is scheduled for testing by the U.S. Marine Corps in December this year, will also be exhibited.

Hanwha Ocean unveils the unmanned power command and control ship system called ‘Ghost Commander.’ This is an unmanned combat system that commands and controls unmanned forces in air, sea, and underwater without human onboard. It also showcases the unmanned power command and control ship and next-generation submarine technologies. This is because the hybrid submarine combines Hanwha Ocean’s Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system and Hanwha Aerospace’s lithium-ion batteries. It is the world’s first case applying a propulsion system combining the AIP fuel cell system and lithium battery system.

Huneed Technologies introduces solutions applicable to small-scale battlefields and operations involving combatants, unmanned aerial vehicles, and field command posts. It showcases ad hoc communication technology, which is key to manned-unmanned combat systems using combatants and UAVs. Ad hoc communication technology forms an independent network using mesh networking principles by utilizing communication equipment possessed by combatants and unmanned systems even without communication infrastructure. Such immediate networking in harsh operational environments enables rapid battlefield situational awareness, making it an essential technology for improving survivability and operational effectiveness.

In the outdoor exhibition area, visitors can see △Korean Air’s mid-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAV) prototype △KAI’s KUH-1 Surion and TA-50 lead-in fighter trainer △Cheongung (radar, launcher, control station) △AIM Sidewinder series air-to-air missiles, as well as weapon systems of F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16.