[Report] "More Precise Than an Operating Room"... The 'Brain of K-Weapon Systems' Seen at Hanwha Systems Gumi

Stricter Dust and Vibration Control Than an Operating Room
Automated Raw Material Management by Robots Boosts Efficiency
One-Stop Lifecycle Management for Medium and Large Radars
Research and Manufacturing of Electronic-Optical Equipment for Medi

"We manage foreign substances with greater precision than a hospital operating room."

A researcher, dressed in a white dust-proof cap and gown, stepped into the air shower room. Only after the door closed and strong gusts of air swept over from all directions was the researcher allowed to enter the laboratory. This space, which tolerates neither a single speck of dust nor the slightest vibration, is the vibration-free cleanroom on the first floor of Hanwha Systems’ new business site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, visited on December 12. It is here that core components for electro-optical equipment and radar, destined for Korean fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and naval vessels, are manufactured.

A Hanwha Systems employee is performing daytime optical and laser alignment work on the K2 tank commander sight. Hanwha Systems

The new Gumi business site was established by nearly doubling the size of the previous 13,630-pyeong facility. The newly completed, large-scale defense manufacturing and research facility, spanning 27,000 pyeong, is expected to serve not just as an expansion of production capacity, but as a "strategic hub" supporting the sustainable growth of Korea’s defense industry.

What stood out at the new site was the state-of-the-art cleanroom, the largest in Korea’s defense industry, covering 1,500 pyeong. To meet the high precision requirements of electro-optical equipment, a separate vibration-free cleanroom was constructed. Here, electro-optical target tracking equipment for small armed helicopters, medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles, and the KF-21, as well as telescope modules for laser anti-aircraft weapons, are produced.

The cleanliness level is maintained below Class 10,000. This means that within a 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm space, there are fewer than 10,000 particles measuring 0.5 micrometers or larger. Considering that a human hair is about 100 micrometers thick and a fog particle is about 1 micrometer, this is an extremely stringent environment. Additionally, the dust-proof design completely blocks external vibrations. Vibrations are suppressed to less than 6 micrometers per second, which is about one one-hundredth of what is typical in ordinary buildings. A Hanwha Systems representative explained, "Compared to the 50,000-class level of hospital operating rooms, the precision here is even higher."

In the 700-pyeong materials management room, robots are busier than humans. Accompanied by mechanical sounds, logistics robots continuously transported materials. Here, approximately 20,000 types of raw materials and advanced defense equipment are managed by an automated system. Just like scanning a barcode at a supermarket checkout, materials are registered in place, and from then on, robots handle their movement and storage. A Hanwha Systems representative said, "The number of workers has been reduced from 11 to 9, and the space required has decreased by about 300 pyeong, greatly improving logistics efficiency."

The materials management room, located in the manufacturing building of Hanwha Systems, spans approximately 700 pyeong (about 2,310 square meters). By introducing logistics robots and automation systems, it systematically manages over 20,000 types of raw materials and advanced defense equipment, maximizing logistics efficiency. Hanwha Systems

In the Cheongung system radar assembly test site, the Cheongung-II multifunction radar (MFR) was rotating continuously in a 360-degree sweep. This is Korea’s first one-stop production line where the entire product lifecycle-from assembly and testing of medium- and large-sized radars to maintenance and repair-can be carried out in a single location. The entire process, including antenna near-field testing, assembly and testing of core components and systems, and performance-based logistics (PBL) cyclical maintenance, is conducted here.

At the new business site, electro-optical target tracking equipment (EO TGP) and infrared search and track devices for Korean fighter jets, as well as electro-optical equipment for medium- and large-sized aircraft, are produced. In particular, the site will serve as a "technology hub" for developing future naval power solutions, such as unmanned ships and motherships for unmanned systems, based on the advancement of intelligent combat systems using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including automated engagement, autonomous navigation, and intelligent propulsion control.

Kim Yongjin, head of Hanwha Systems’ Gumi business site, said, "With the establishment of this new business site, we will proactively respond to the growing global security and advanced weapons system demands," adding, "We will develop the Gumi site into a core pillar of Korea’s defense technology competitiveness."