SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea's Hanwha Systems said on Thursday it has secured its first foothold in the U.S. defense market by winning a contract to export digital avionics equipment to Boeing.
The South Korean defense company said it has signed a deal to supply Boeing with a large-area multifunction display, known as the enhanced large-area display (ELAD), for F-15K fighter jets and the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX aircraft.
The display integrates information that was previously shown across multiple cockpit instruments into a single large screen, allowing pilots to access critical flight and mission data more quickly and improving situational awareness and operational efficiency, the company said.
Hanwha Systems said the initial deliveries and application of its avionics to the F-15K fleet are expected to support greater participation by South Korean technology providers in U.S.-led fighter jet upgrade programs.
The company attributed the contract to government-backed industrial cooperation and defense sales diplomacy, including support from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and its aviation program office.
DAPA signed an industrial cooperation memorandum of understanding with Boeing in November last year as part of efforts to upgrade South Korea’s F-15K fleet and expand the role of domestic companies in major overseas procurement programs.
Hanwha Systems said being a supplier of the large cockpit display for the F-15 platform will open the door to further opportunities in the U.S. defense market.
The company also supplies seven core avionics systems for South Korea’s domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet, including the mission computer, multifunction display, audio control and communication system, and terrain-following computer, all developed using domestic technology.
In addition, Hanwha Systems provides the KF-21 with domestically produced systems such as an infrared search-and-track sensor and electro-optical targeting equipment.
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