Hanwha Systems cooperates with Britain's OneWeb to participate in Australia's military satellite internet project

By Lim Chang-won Posted : July 21, 2022, 13:27 Updated : July 21, 2022, 13:27

[Courtesy of Hanwha Systems]

SEOUL -- Hanwha Systems, a key defense contractor involved in the development of antennas in South Korea, will tap overseas defense markets, starting with Australia, through cooperation with OneWeb, a London-based communications company that has launched a network of low-orbit satellites for Internet services.  

At the Farnborough International Airshow, a trade exhibition in England, Hanwha Systems and the Australian unit of its sister company. Hanwha Defense, signed a memorandum of understanding with OneWeb to cooperate in participating in Australia's military satellite internet project.

The project is to set up a multi-tier networking and communications system for Australia's next-generation command, control, communication, and computing (C4) system. Command and control warfare encompasses all the military tactics that use communications technology.

Hanwha Systems said it would propose to apply satellite communication antennas to Australian military platforms by combining its satellite communication antennas with OneWeb's low-orbit satellite communication services. Hanwha Systems is in charge of system integration and satellite communication terminal solutions for vehicles, while Hanwha Defense's subsidiary in Australia is responsible for local marketing. 

"We will continue to strengthen our position in the global market for countries that need satellite Internet, such as Saudi Arabia and Poland, through cooperation with various companies with technological competitiveness at home and abroad," Hanwha Systems CEO Eoh Sung-chul said in a statement on on July 20.

In an effort to develop low-orbit satellite communication technologies for civilian and defense use, Hanwha Systems invested $300 million to purchase an 8.8 percent stake in OneWeb in August 2021. The company has been involved in the development of high-performance electronic antenna technology since it acquired the business and asset of Phasor Solutions, a Britain-based satellite communication antenna developer, in 2020.

In 2021, Hanwha Systems invested $30 million in Kymeta, an American satellite communications company, followed by an additional investment of $11 million in March 2022, to jointly develop satellite communication antennas. Kymeta has unveiled metamaterials-based flat, lightweight and cost-effective satellite tracking antennas that are designed to work seamlessly for communication in high-volume markets.

Hanwha Systems has polished its skill and know-how through the localization of an advanced and sophisticated radar system for South Korea's homemade KF-21 fighter jet that made its maiden flight on July 19. The company is involved in a military project to produce fixed and transportable terminals linked to a military satellite communication system by 2025. The system enables uninterrupted satellite communication in contingencies and wartime. .

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