Hanwha Aerospace is accelerating its efforts to expand security cooperation and defense partnerships in Europe, coinciding with the NATO summit.
On July 7, Hanwha Aerospace's delegation participated in the NATO Defense Industry Forum held in Ankara, Turkey, where they discussed ways to enhance industrial cooperation with NATO member countries, global defense industry representatives, and key security think tanks.
The NATO Defense Industry Forum is a side event of the NATO summit, bringing together government officials from member countries, global defense companies, and policy institutions to discuss security issues and industrial collaboration.
During a panel session at the forum, Jacek Cichocki, head of Hanwha Aerospace's European division, emphasized the need for expanded defense cooperation between NATO member countries and Indo-Pacific partner nations (IP4), highlighting the importance of long-term industrial collaboration based on trust.
Cichocki stated, "New technologies, threats, and changing geopolitical environments are fundamentally altering the direction of the defense industry. To strengthen European defense capabilities, we must go beyond merely acquiring equipment and focus on building stable supply chains, enhancing local production capabilities, and establishing joint development and production systems."
He added, "Technology derives its greatest value from trust, shared goals, and strong partnerships. Hanwha Aerospace is committed to enhancing the self-defense capabilities of various nations, expanding industrial cooperation, and contributing to a stronger and more resilient NATO defense ecosystem."
As examples of industrial cooperation strategies, he introduced ongoing local production and technology collaboration initiatives in Poland and Romania, as well as efforts to expand industrial partnerships.
Hanwha Aerospace has successfully established technology cooperation and joint production systems through projects like the K9 self-propelled howitzer and Chunmoo in Poland, and is working on establishing a local joint venture for missile production and a production base for modular charges, thereby strengthening the European defense production base.
In Romania, the company is constructing production facilities for ground defense systems, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer, while in Northern Europe, it is expanding technology cooperation and investment centered around the K9 and Chunmoo. Additionally, in Western Europe, including Germany and France, it is promoting joint development and technology cooperation, thereby broadening the foundation for defense collaboration across Europe.
The forum also presented a government-level blueprint to elevate defense cooperation between South Korea and NATO. In his keynote address at the Defense Industry Forum, President Lee Jae-myung proposed a 'Korea-NATO Defense Cooperation Partnership 2.0,' suggesting an expansion of existing cooperation focused on weapon systems to include joint research and development, joint production, joint operations, and long-term industrial collaboration.
He emphasized that combining South Korea's stable production capabilities and proven technologies with NATO's extensive expertise could significantly enhance the security capabilities of both sides.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Hanwha Aerospace hosted a networking reception inviting key government and defense industry officials. The event was attended by over 150 participants, including representatives from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), a U.S. congressional delegation, global defense companies, major think tanks, and media representatives.
Attendees discussed various cooperation strategies to strengthen defense production bases and enhance supply chain resilience in response to changes in the European security environment, while also fostering long-term collaboration among government, industry, and think tanks.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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