(Yonhap Feature) Hanwha spearheads S. Korea's ground defense innovation with next-gen unmanned fleet

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CHANGWON, South Korea, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- A logistics soldier stood waiting beside a stack of supplies as a compact, crouching military vehicle rolled across the grounds.

Its six airless tires made a sharp 90-degree turn, accelerating effortlessly over uneven asphalt before stopping right by the serviceman's side.

As the soldier loaded the cargo bed, the matte green and brown robotic mule remained motionless, its sensors instantly registering the added weight. The moment the soldier stepped back, the autonomous vehicle smoothly pivoted away, speeding into the distance with the payload on its back.

The Arion-SMET unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), a centerpiece of Hanwha Aerospace Co.'s next-generation uncrewed fleet, put its real-world operational capabilities on full display Monday at the company's flagship manufacturing plant in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

This photo, provided by Hanwha Aerospace Co., shows the Arion-SMET multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the company's manufacturing facility in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The choreographed live demonstration showcased an array of Hanwha's key unmanned land defense systems either in production or under development, including the Arion-SMET and its upgraded version, GRUNT, as well as the Tigon armored vehicle and the THeMIS infantry support vehicle.

The 2.2-ton multipurpose Arion-SMET anchors the lighter end of Hanwha's versatile UGV lineup. With a top speed of 60 km/h and a range of 100 km on a single charge, it is designed to handle everything from hauling ammunition and evacuating casualties to tactical reconnaissance and close combat support.

"In the 'follow-me' mode, the Arion-SMET acts as an autonomous shadow, following the lead soldier at a safe, preset distance without requiring any manual controls," Koh Eunharry, a Hanwha official said during the demonstration.

It boasts its advanced remote controlled weapon system (RCWS) featuring a heavy-duty turret that can accommodate a 7.62-mm machine gun.

"The RCWS maintains the 'lock-on' mode on human targets ahead, while the platform's drive control ensures the weapon stays fixed on the target even while maneuvering over rugged terrain," Koh said.

From back to front, the THeMIS tracked unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), the GRUNT and Arion-AMET multipurpose UGVs demonstrate maneuvers at a testing ground inside Hanwha Aerospace Co.'s manufacturing plant in Changwon, 300 km southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Hanwha's small UGV portfolio is expanding rapidly, with the Arion-SMET set to be succeeded by the hybrid-fueled GRUNT. Hanwha is co-developing THeMIS, short for Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System, in collaboration with Estonia-based Milrem Robotics, tailoring the combat platform specifically for South Korean forces.

Development is also under way for medium and large UGV models, scaling up to heavy-duty platforms weighing between 20 and 30 tons.

The rapid development comes amid a critical domestic push. Hanwha won the contract in July to supply the Arion-SMET to the South Korean Army, marking the military's first operational procurement of a UGV platform.

The Army has been modernizing its ground forces in response to a changing warfare environment and a declining birthrate.

The Arion-SMET unmanned ground vehicle trails a Hanwha official, acting as a soldier, demonstrating its "follow-me" capability during the showcasing at the company's manufacturing plant in Changwon, some 300 km southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2026, in this photo provided by Hanwha Aerospace. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The Arion-SMET has also gained international traction after its previous version passed the U.S. military's Foreign Comparative Testing in 2023, a milestone Hanwha believes positioned it as a strong contender in the global UGV market.

Several countries, including Romania, Finland and Canada, have reportedly shown interest in the Arion-SMET and GRUNT lines, opening the door for potential multibillion-dollar export deals.

"We plan to produce 40 units by 2028 and deliver them to infantry units of the Army and the Marine Corps, all of which will be produced at this Changwon plant," said Lee Yun-su, a research engineer at the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) research and development (R&D) center.

Hanwha's existing flagship land systems, including the best-selling K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher, are also being developed into "optionally unmanned" variants, aiming for completion by 2029.

(From R to L) The K21 infantry fighting vehicle, the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher, the Cheongung-II medium-range missile defense system, the Tigon wheeled armored vehicle and a fleet of three unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), including the Arion-SMET (front left), appear during a demonstration at a testing ground inside Hanwha Aerospace Co.'s manufacturing plant in Changwon, about 300 km southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The unmanned system drive keeps pace with the shifting realities of modern battlefields, where operations are moving into highly connected and AI-based networks for fast decision-making, deploying drones and robots at a massive scale to reduce human risk.

This is where Hanwha's MUM-T architecture comes in -- a future combat concept where human soldiers and autonomous equipment work as a synchronized team.

"We are now in the final stretch, with our eyes set on 2030 (for concept completion)," Park Mae-hun, senior vice president and head of Hanwha's MUM-T R&D Center, said during a meeting with the press. Hanwha aims to achieve full autonomous mission capabilities for the land systems by 2035.

As Hanwha doubles down on the burgeoning unmanned systems market, Park noted that the company is fully addressing the technology's ethical challenges as well.

"You can't just let the machine do everything. Certain actions strictly require human verification," Park said. "Even if the AI detects an enemy target, a human operator must confirm the threat, and a human must always be the one to pull the trigger."

The Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher is manufactured at Hanwha Aerospace Co.'s plant in Changwon, some 300 km southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap).

elly@yna.co.kr (END)

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(Yonhap Feature) Hanwha spearheads S. Korea's ground defense innovation with next-gen unmanned fleet

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

韩国昌原，9月17日（韩联社）——一辆紧凑的、低矮的军用车辆缓缓驶过场地，一名后勤士兵站在一堆物资旁等待。

它的六个无气轮胎做了一个急转弯 90 度，毫不费力地在不平坦的沥青路上加速，然后停在了维修人员旁边。

士兵往货厢里装货时，那辆哑光绿棕色的机器人骡子纹丝不动，它的传感器瞬间感应到了增加的重量。士兵刚一后退，这辆无人驾驶车辆就平稳地转向，驮着货物飞驰而去。

韩华航天公司下一代无人机队的核心产品——Arion-SMET无人地面车辆（UGV）周一在该公司位于首尔东南约300公里处的昌原旗舰制造厂全面展示了其实际操作能力。

这张照片由韩华航天公司提供，拍摄于2026年9月14日，地点是该公司位于首尔东南约300公里处昌原的制造工厂，照片显示的是Arion-SMET多用途无人地面车辆（UGV）。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

精心编排的现场演示展示了韩华正在生产或正在研发的一系列关键无人陆地防御系统，包括 Arion-SMET 及其升级版 GRUNT，以及 Tigon 装甲车和 THeMIS 步兵支援车。

2.2吨重的多用途无人地面车辆Arion-SMET是韩华多功能无人地面车辆系列中较轻型的一款。它的最高时速为60公里/小时，单次充电续航里程为100公里，设计用途广泛，从运输弹药、撤离伤员到战术侦察和近距离作战支援，无所不能。

韩华公司官员高恩哈里在演示中表示：“在‘跟随我’模式下，Arion-SMET 就像一个自主影子，以安全的预设距离跟随领头士兵，而无需任何手动控制。”

它拥有先进的遥控武器系统（RCWS），配备重型炮塔，可容纳一挺 7.62 毫米机枪。

Koh表示：“遥控武器站能够保持对前方人类目标的‘锁定’模式，而平台的驱动控制则确保武器即使在崎岖地形上机动时也能始终锁定目标。”

2026年9月14日，在位于首尔东南300公里昌原市的韩华航空航天公司制造厂内试验场，从后往前依次展示了THeMIS履带式无人地面车辆（UGV）、GRUNT和Arion-AMET多用途UGV的机动性能。（图片非卖品）（韩联社）

韩华的小型无人地面车辆产品线正在迅速扩张，Arion-SMET 将被混合动力 GRUNT 取代。韩华正与爱沙尼亚的 Milrem Robotics 公司合作开发 THeMIS（履带式混合动力模块化步兵系统），该作战平台专为韩国军队量身定制。

目前也在开发中型和大型无人地面车辆 (UGV) 型号，逐步扩大到重量在 20 至 30 吨之间的重型平台。

这一快速发展正值韩国国内大力推进之际。韩华公司于7月赢得向韩国陆军供应Arion-SMET无人地面车辆的合同，这标志着韩国军方首次正式采购无人地面车辆平台。

为了应对不断变化的战争环境和不断下降的出生率，陆军一直在对其地面部队进行现代化改造。

2026年9月14日，在位于首尔东南约300公里昌原市的韩华航空航天公司工厂，一架Arion-SMET无人地面车辆正在展示其“跟随”功能，该车辆跟随一名扮演士兵的韩华官员。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

Arion-SMET 的前身于 2023 年通过了美国军方的外国对比测试，此后 Arion-SMET 也获得了国际关注。韩华认为，这一里程碑事件使其成为全球无人地面车辆市场的有力竞争者。

据报道，包括罗马尼亚、芬兰和加拿大在内的几个国家对 Arion-SMET 和 GRUNT 系列产品表现出了兴趣，这为潜在的数十亿美元出口交易打开了大门。

“我们计划到 2028 年生产 40 台设备，并交付给陆军和海军陆战队的步兵部队，所有这些设备都将在昌原工厂生产，”人机协同（MUM-T）研发中心的研究工程师李允洙（Lee Yun-su）说。

韩华现有的旗舰陆地系统，包括最畅销的K9自行榴弹炮和春武多管火箭炮，也正在被开发成“可选无人”版本，目标是在2029年完成。

（从右至左）2026年9月14日，在位于首尔东南约300公里昌原市的韩华航天公司工厂内试验场，K21步兵战车、“天武”多管火箭炮、“天宫-II”中程导弹防御系统、“提贡”轮式装甲车以及三辆无人地面车辆（UGV）（包括左前方的“阿里翁-SMET”）正在进行演示。（图片非卖品）（韩联社）

无人系统的发展与现代战场的现实变化保持同步，作战行动正朝着高度互联和基于人工智能的网络方向发展，以实现快速决策，大规模部署无人机和机器人以降低人员风险。

这就是韩华的 MUM-T 架构的用武之地——一种未来作战概念，其中人类士兵和自主装备作为一个同步团队协同工作。

韩华集团高级副总裁兼MUM-T研发中心负责人朴美勋在新闻发布会上表示：“我们现在正处于最后冲刺阶段，目标是在2030年完成概念验证。”韩华的目标是到2035年实现陆地系统的完全自主任务能力。

随着韩华加大对蓬勃发展的无人系统市场的投入，朴先生指出，该公司也在全面应对该技术带来的伦理挑战。

“你不能让机器包办一切。某些操作必须严格经过人工验证，”朴说。“即使人工智能检测到了敌方目标，也必须由操作员确认威胁，而且扣动扳机的也必须是人。”

2026 年 9 月 14 日，在位于首尔东南约 300 公里的昌原市的韩华航天公司工厂，Chunmoo 多管火箭炮正在生产中。（照片不得出售）（韩联社）

elly@yna.co.kr（完）

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