Hanwha Aerospace to Build Army Maintenance Center and Launch MRO for Exported Weapons

[Financial News] Hanwha Aerospace will build a field maintenance support center for the Republic of Korea Army’s eastern region. The plan is to use it as a hub for overseas MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) of exported weapons systems, including the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer.
The plan was discussed at a second-half meeting with defense companies on revitalizing the K-defense industry and developing MRO through civil-military cooperation, led by the Republic of Korea Army Headquarters on the 9th. Hanwha Aerospace said at the meeting that it would build an eastern center with the Army and the defense industry and make it a hub for overseas MRO through civil-military cooperation.
Poland is a leading example of a country with strong demand for overseas MRO of exported weapons systems. It has procured large numbers of K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, K2 Black Panther tanks and K239 Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket systems, and is also pursuing local production.
The Army held an MRO seminar in Poland in September and will begin mobile training this month to improve operational capabilities. The two armies also plan to make their logistics cooperation consultative body a regular fixture.
The plan is to step up overseas MRO in Poland and elsewhere by proposing projects directly to importing countries. Proposals will be developed based on the expertise the military and industry build at the new eastern field maintenance support center. The two sides plan to launch a working group soon and draw up concrete plans.
Building an overseas MRO network is expected to make a considerable contribution to sustaining the K-defense industry boom. As the ability to offer package deals for weapons systems is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage, MRO could become a strength that boosts exports.
Ha Heon-cheol, chief of logistics staff at the Republic of Korea Army Headquarters, stressed that cooperation between the military and defense companies is important to boost K-defense exports and improve equipment availability rates.
A Hanwha Aerospace representative said, “In response to the Army’s support for expanding exports, we will make every effort to raise the global standing of the Korean-style MRO export model.”
[email protected] Kim Yun-ho Reporter