South Korea Moves Closer to Deploying Hypersonic Missile

Hypersonic flight refers to speeds of Mach 5 or higher—more than five times the speed of sound. While conventional aircraft and missiles typically operate below Mach 3, hypersonic weapons combine extreme speed with maneuverability, making interception by existing air and missile defense systems exceedingly difficult. By blending key characteristics of ballistic and cruise missiles, hypersonic cruise missiles occupy a unique operational nich...

Korean KSS-III Submarine An Mu Makes Historic First Overseas Deployment

On December 30, the ROK Navy held a welcoming ceremony at Jinhae Naval Base, hosted by Rear Adm. Kim Tae-hoon, Acting Commander of the Submarine Force. Sailors from the Submarine Command and family members of the An Mu crew attended the event, celebrating the submarine’s safe return and successful completion of its first overseas mission.An Mu departed Jinhae in early November and arrived in Guam on November 17. Over the course of approxima...

LIG Nex1 Wins Key Deal for ROK Navy Combat USVs

The company announced that on the 19th it signed a package-type development agreement with the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality to develop integrated control systems and autonomous mission technologies for combat USVs. The project was jointly planned with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to secure critical technologies in advance of the Combat USV Batch-II system development phase, reducing technical risk and improving prog...

36 Years on the Frontline: ROK Navy Corvette Gwangmyeong Retires

The Republic of Korea Navy will hold a decommissioning ceremony for the 1,000-ton Pohang-class corvette on December 26 at Jinhae Naval Base. Following the ceremony, Gwangmyeong will be formally decommissioned on December 31, concluding 36 years of frontline maritime service.Hosted by Vice Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul, Commander of the ROK Fleet, the ceremony will be attended by former commanding officers and crew members of Gwangmyeong, along with senior ...

Hanwha’s Chunmoo Lands $330M Baltic Breakthrough

The agreement was formally signed on December 21 (local time) in Tallinn, with senior officials from both governments in attendance, including Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur, Acting Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments Kerttu Lausap, Vice Minister of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Kang Hwan-seok, KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung, and Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il.Under the co...

KAI Secures Seven ROK Government Helicopter Deals for 2025

KAI announced that it signed separate contracts on December 15 and 17 to deliver one Surion multirole helicopter each to the two agencies. With these deals, KAI has now secured contracts for a total of seven government-operated helicopters in 2025 alone.The contract with the Korea Coast Guard is valued at approximately KRW 38.5 billion (about USD 28.5 million), while the National Park Service contract amounts to KRW 32.8 billion (around USD 24.3 ...

Hanwha Systems Secures USD 136M Cheongung-III MFR Contract, Launching Next-Generation Korean Patriot

The company announced on the 17th that it signed a prototype development contract for the Multi-Function Radar (MFR) under Phase III of the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (M-SAM) program, led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). The development program will run through June 2030.Cheongung-III aims to counter evolving ballistic missile threats by significantly enhancing detection range and altitude, interception range and altitude, an...

South Korea Deploys KTSSM to Neutralize North Korean Long-Range Artillery

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it held a KTSSM operational deployment completion ceremony on Tuesday, December 16, at the Missile Strategic Command. The event was attended by DAPA Administrator Lee Yong-cheol, along with senior officials from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Republic of Korea Army Headquarters, the Defense Installations Agency, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the Defense Agency for Te...

ROK Marine Corps Unveils Its First-Ever Combat Boat, Cheongsaechi Takes to the Water

On December 11, the ROKMC and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a launching ceremony at Kangnam Shipbuilding in Saha District, Busan, for the service’s new High-Speed Combat Boat (HCB-001), named 'Cheongsaechi(Striped marlin)' .The Cheongsaechi represents a significant leap from the Marine Corps’ aging rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), offering far greater speed, protection, and firepower. The 18-meter-cl...

Hyundai Rotem Signs Framework Agreement with Peru for K2 Tanks and K808 Armored Vehicles

The company announced on the 10th that it signed the agreement on December 9 (local time) in Lima with the Peruvian Army and state-owned arms manufacturer FAME S.A.C. Under the upcoming implementation contract, Hyundai Rotem plans to deliver 54 K2 tanks and 141 K808 armored vehicles.Peru has been aggressively pursuing military modernization to strengthen national security and develop its domestic defense capabilities. The newly signed Framework A...