Korean Defense Firms Showcase Advanced Military Technologies at U.S. Army Expo in Washington

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – More than a dozen South Korean firms showcased their high-tech military products at an exhibition in Washington on Monday, seeking to create or firm up their presence in the U.S. market, as Seoul and Washington pursue deeper defense industrial cooperation to confront North Korea and other shared challenges.

From a self-propelled howitzer to a battle communication device to a gun aiming system, their products encapsulated technological advances in the Korean industry at large during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

They set up the “Korean Pavilion” at the annual exhibition that AUSA organizers said has brought together some 780 enterprises and exhibitors from 92 countries, as the United States seeks to leverage allies’ industrial capacities to help reinforce its defense industrial supply chains amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

The Korean exhibitors included Hanwha Aerospace Co., Poongsan Corp., Samyang Chemical Co., Korea Defense Industry Corp, Arion Communication Co. and D.I. Optical Co., to name a few.

Hanwha Aerospace displayed a K9A1 self-propelled howitzer, a platform in service in more than 10 nations, while unveiling a K9A2 wheeled howitzer concept based on the next-generation K9A2 system. It also presented a modular charge system for 155 mm artillery that ensures compatibility with North Atlantic Treaty Organization-standard ammunition.

Michael Coulter, president and CEO at Hanwha Global Defense, voiced confidence in Hanwha’s future in the U.S. defense market, noting that Hanwha’s participation in the exhibition is part of its global strategy to increase its presence in leading global defense markets.

“I think we have a very promising future in the defense market. Not only do we bring technology that is relevant to the U.S. Army and the U.S. warfighter, but we bring an industrial capacity that currently exists in Korea but does not exist in the U.S.,” he told Yonhap News Agency.

“So the combination of leading technology, industrial capacity and our ability to move at speed is exactly what the U.S. Army is looking for,” he added, underscoring Hanwha’s commitment to working with the Korean and U.S. governments to increase security cooperation and the national interests of the two nations.

Arion Communication Co. showcased the SAT-PRE, a command/control communication device for long-range operations between special operations forces. The device uses commercial satellite and combat network radio systems for position location information, encrypted message transmission and reception and secure voice communication.

“We already supplied 1,200 units of this device to South Korea’s Special Warfare Command in December last year, and hope to carve out a foothold in the U.S. market as well,” said Park Yong-bum, an official representing the company at its booth.

“We believe this product is a device needed for combined, collaborative operations between South Korean and U.S. military forces.”

Samsung Electronics also joined the exhibition with a set of its tech products, including its “Tactical Edition” mobile device that provides a military solution designed to support troops’ situational awareness and decision-making capabilities through applications for complex terrain navigation and communications.

“Within the federal practice, we are taking our commercial devices and helping the government with secure solutions,” Michael Inserra, an official at Samsung Electronics America, told Yonhap News Agency. “(The Tactical Edition) is based on requirements from different parts of the military.”

Korea Defense Industry Corp. displayed several high-tech fuses used for artillery weapon systems, including an “Impact Fuze,” which is compatible with 105 mm and 155 mm artillery as well as 120 mm mortars.

“There has recently been a rise in demand for impact fuses not only in the U.S. market, but also globally,” an employee of the company, explained, expressing the company’s expectation for progress in its international marketing efforts.

Samyang Chemical Co. presented a 66 mm vehicle-launched smoke grenade and an infrared screening smoke pot, as well as a counter-terrorism suit designed to protect personnel from chemical, biological and toxic substances generated in industrial sites.

The company plans to join a U.S. Army “Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT)” program this year with an ambition to enter the U.S. market. The FCT program is designed to assess technologies from friendly and allied countries in an effort to reduce costs and enhance capabilities of U.S. troops.

D.I. Optical Co., another Korean firm, promoted its technology for machine gun optics, among others, including DTS-100L, a product which the company calls the world’s first to integrate a red dot sight, thermal imaging camera and long-range rangerfinder into a single body.

“Our plan is to lay the groundwork for a presence in the U.S. commercial sector, which we hope would be followed by the creation of a foothold in the military realm,” Steven Jin, senior manager in the international sales department of D.I. Optical said.

Poongsan Corp. displayed a wide variety of ammunition products, including 155 mm artillery projectiles. The company has focused largely on the sporting ammunition segment, but it has been seeking to expand its business opportunities.

(Yonhap)