Hanwha Aerospace's Cheonmu Secures 2.8 Trillion Won Contract in Norway, Surpassing US Competitors

Selected as Final Contractor for LRPFS in Norway
Project Valued at 2.8 Trillion Won
Competed Against US and European Companies

Hanwha Aerospace has been selected as the final contractor for the Norwegian Army's next-generation Long Range Precision Fire System (LRPFS) acquisition project. The project is valued at 19 billion kroner, which is approximately 2.8 trillion won.

According to major foreign media outlets, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced on January 29 (local time) that it had chosen Hanwha Aerospace as the final supplier for the LRPFS project. Prior to this, on January 27, the Norwegian Parliament passed a bill approving the LRPFS procurement project in a plenary session, and the Ministry of Defense finalized the selection of the contractor just two days after the bill's passage. Hanwha Aerospace is scheduled to sign the contract on January 30 and will supply the Cheonmu multiple launch rocket system to Norway.

Cheonmu, the multiple launch rocket system of Hanwha Aerospace. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

The selection process for this project has been underway in earnest since last year. The Norwegian side reportedly reviewed candidate companies with compatibility with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) systems as a key criterion. Competing candidates included Lockheed Martin's HIMARS and EURO-PULS from KNDS, a German-French joint defense company.

Industry insiders point to diplomatic support from the Korean government as a key factor in overturning the initially favorable competitive landscape. In October last year, Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary, visited Norway as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jaemyung to high-ranking government officials, and conveyed Korea's intention to expand bilateral cooperation, including in the defense sector.

Although the total project size is approximately 2.8 trillion won, it is known that about 1 trillion won will be directly allocated for the purchase of Cheonmu. The remaining budget will be used for building related infrastructure and operational costs required for the Norwegian military's force integration process.

An industry official stated, "This Norwegian LRPFS contract is a prime example of the combination of government diplomacy and corporate technological capability," adding, "It will serve as an opportunity to further enhance the credibility of Korean weapon systems in the European defense market."