Hanwha and LIG Nex1 Fully Mobilize Targeting Middle East Market

DAPA to Operate 'Integrated Korea Pavilion' for the First Time Overseas
38 Korean Defense Companies, Including Hanwha and LIG Nex1, Join IDEX 2025
Showcasing K-Air Defense Network, K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer, and Small SAR Satellite

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that from the 17th to the 21st, at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) 2025 held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), it will operate the 'Integrated Korea Pavilion,' which combines the government promotional pavilion and the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) pavilion for the first time at an overseas defense exhibition.

Started in 1993, IDEX is the largest comprehensive defense exhibition in the Middle East and Africa region. This year, 1,350 companies from 65 countries are participating. Thirty-eight domestic defense companies, including Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG Nex1, Hanwha, and Hyundai Rotem, are also participating in this exhibition.

Until now, DAPA has supported the overseas expansion of domestic small and medium-sized defense companies by subsidizing exhibition rental fees for the SME pavilion operated by the Korea Defense Industry Promotion Association (KDIA). Starting this year, DAPA explained that by integrating the government promotional pavilion and the SME pavilion under its supervision, it plans to promote K-defense joint marketing as a 'One Team' between the government and companies.

At the Integrated Korea Pavilion, plans include △displaying products from domestic defense SMEs △promoting the Korean defense industry at the government level △networking with government and corporate officials from major export target countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

In particular, by establishing the 'L-SAM Zone,' DAPA will intensively promote the excellence of Korean guided weapon systems to key UAE government and corporate figures and strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries by holding a Korea-UAE joint seminar.

Companies are also proactive. LIG Chairman Koo Bon-sang will attend 'IDEX 2025' to promote the 'K-Air Defense Network.' Setting the Middle East as a strategic market and participating in IDEX since 2009, LIG Nex1 plans to pursue customized order marketing with products and technologies optimized for the local environment. As a system integrator that has led the domestic development of the medium-range, medium-altitude interception system Cheongung II, the long-range, high-altitude interception capability L-SAM, LAMD, and the close-in weapon system (CIWS-II), it plans to imprint its accumulated capabilities.

Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems also showcased core technologies of the Korean-style 'Integrated Multi-layer Air Defense Solution.' 'The Korean-style Patriot' M-SAM's key components, including multifunction radar (MFR), guided missiles, and launchers, demonstrated advanced air defense capabilities. Hanwha Systems proved its technological and price competitiveness in the global defense market by exporting the M-SAM-II (Cheongung II) multifunction radar to the UAE in 2022 and to Saudi Arabia in July last year.

Hanwha Aerospace also exhibited a real K9 self-propelled howitzer equipped with a domestically produced engine. The K9 self-propelled howitzer, equipped with a 1,000-horsepower diesel engine, recently passed durability tests in Egypt and is scheduled to begin full-scale production locally in Egypt in the second half of this year. Earlier, in 2022, Hanwha Aerospace signed a package export contract worth 2 trillion won with the Egyptian government for K9 self-propelled howitzers, K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, and K11 fire control armored vehicles.

At this IDEX exhibition, Hanwha Systems unveiled for the first time in the Middle East market a small SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite with a resolution of 0.25m, developed independently based on radar technology accumulated over decades. The small SAR satellite being unveiled boasts technology on par with advanced countries and is evaluated as world-class. As one of the earth observation satellites, the SAR satellite uses radar waves to acquire high-resolution images even at night or in cloudy weather, conditions where optical satellites have difficulty observing.