Lockheed Martin Leaves the Bid for T-45 Replacement
Lockheed Martin has abandoned the tender of the US Navy to replace the T-45 Goshawk trainer fleet, leaving three contenders for the future naval trainers.
Republic of Korea News
Navy / Maritime
Air
Navy / Maritime
ASFAT and TAIS Among Finalists in Thailand’s Frigate Bid
Turkish shipbuilders ASFAT and TAIS Shipyards are included in the shortlisted competitors for Thailand’s frigate acquisition programme covering one frigate.
Land
Weapon / Missile
Hanwha and Northrop Team Up for Surface-Launched AGM-88G/J
Northrop Grumman announced an MoA with ROK’s Hanwha to develop a booster for the AReS weapon system, a surface-launch application for AARGM-ER or SiAW missiles.
Land
Weapon / Missile
Finland orders 112 additional K9 howitzers from Hanwha
Finland has signed a follow-on contract with Hanwha Aerospace for the procurement of 112 K9 howitzers in a deal valued at approximately EUR 546 million.
Land
Weapon / Missile
Simulator / AI / Drill/ Software
US Army Deploys IFPC Inc 2 in ROK for Low Altitude Defence
The US Army announced the deployment of the IFPC Inc 2 short-range air defence system in the Republic of Korea during the Freedom Shield 2026 exercise.
Navy / Maritime
Weapon / Missile
Philippine Navy Commisions First Rajah Sulayman-class OPV
The Philippine Navy has announced the commissioning of the lead Rajah Sulayman-class OPV alongside the last Acero-class missile-carrying fast attack craft.
Investment
Hanwha Breaks Ground on K9 and K10 Plant in Romania
Hanwha Aerospace has broken ground on a new armoured vehicle production facility in Petrești, Dâmbovița County, localising K9 and K10 systems in Europe.
Land
Sensors
Expo and Air Show
ASELSAN Integrates SEDA 100 on Hanwha’s TIGON 8x8 AFV
Hanwha’s TIGON 8x8 AFV has been put on display with ASELSAN’s SEDA 100 acoustic gunshot detection system at the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026 exhibition.
Air
Modernisation
Boeing wins $2.8bn F-15K upgrade contract for ROKAF
The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a $2.8bn FMS contract to modernise South Korea’s F-15K fleet, covering system design and long-term upgrades through 2037.
Weapon / Missile
Hanwha wins $922m Chunmoo rocket system deal in Norway
Hanwha Aerospace has secured a $922m contract to supply 16 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Norway, strengthening Nordic long-range strike capabilities.
Air
Weapon / Missile
Unmanned Systems
Expo and Air Show
Shield AI and LIG Nex1 Sign Deal to Arm V-BAT VTOL UAV
Shield AI and ROK’s LIG Nex1 signed a deal for the integration of L-MDM lightweight missiles on the V-BAT tail-sitting VTOL UAV during the UMEX 2026 exhibition.
Navy / Maritime
Weapon / Missile
Philippine Navy’s New OPV Dons ASELSAN’s SMASH 200/30 RCWS
BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20) OPV of the Philippine Navy, built by ROK’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, has been seen fitted with ASELSAN’s SMASH 200/30 naval RCWS.
Weapon / Missile
Republic of Korea seals $4bn worth missile deal with Poland
Hanwha Aerospace has secured a $4bn contract to supply and locally produce Chunmoo guided missiles in Poland, deepening defence ties and industrial cooperation.
Navy / Maritime
ROK Launches Four PKX-B Batch-II Patrol Vessels with MLRS
ROK Navy has launched four PKX-B Batch-II patrol vessels armed with Biryong 130 mm MLRS firing GNSS/INS guided artillery rockets against infiltrations.
Global Defence Trend Brief
- 15:00 US Army expands electronic warfare integration across brigades - The US Army is increasing the integration of electronic warfare capabilities into brigade-level form...
- 15:00 European nations accelerate airbase hardening programmes - European governments are investing in hardened aircraft shelters, dispersed operating locations and...
- 15:00 China strengthens military-civil fusion in space capabilities - China continues integrating commercial and state space assets to enhance military communications, su...
- 15:00 Japan expands stockpiles of long-range stand-off weapons - Japan is increasing procurement and domestic production of stand-off missiles as part of efforts to...
- 15:00 Autonomous maritime surveillance networks gain wider adoption - Navies are increasingly deploying autonomous maritime systems in coordinated surveillance networks t...
- 15:00 Counter-drone doctrine shifts toward affordable mass defence - Military planners are focusing on affordable counter-UAS solutions capable of defeating large number...
- 15:00 Hypersonic defence programmes prioritise persistent tracking - Defence agencies are developing sensor architectures designed to maintain continuous tracking of hyp...
- 15:00 Military satellite constellations expand tactical support roles - Distributed satellite constellations are increasingly being used to provide tactical communications,...
- 15:00 Collaborative autonomy emerges as key future force multiplier - Defence organisations increasingly view collaborative autonomous systems operating in coordinated gr...
- 15:00 Industrial resilience becomes core requirement in defence planning - Governments are incorporating supply-chain security, manufacturing resilience and surge production c...
- 12:00 Turkey targets more defence sales as Western rearmament accelerates - Reuters reported that Türkiye's defence exports reached $10 billion in 2025, with exports to Europe...
- 12:00 ASELSAN to ramp up Steel Dome deliveries in 2026 - Reuters reported that ASELSAN plans to deliver more than 150 components for Türkiye's ÇELİKKUBBE air...
- 12:00 Defense News highlights ASELSAN's autonomous warfare vision - Defense News reported that ASELSAN used SAHA 2026 to showcase a future warfare concept built around...
- 12:00 Le Monde examines Türkiye's expanding defence role in Mali - Le Monde reported that Türkiye has become a key security partner for Mali through drone exports, mil...
- 12:00 Middle East Forum analyses Baykar's European expansion - A Middle East Forum analysis argued that Baykar's expansion into Europe reflects the growing importa...
- 12:00 French study identifies Türkiye as a major new European supplier - The Foundation for Strategic Research assessed Türkiye as one of the most successful new entrants in...
- 12:00 Jerusalem Post highlights Baykar export performance - The Jerusalem Post reported that Baykar's drone exports reached $1.8 billion in 2024, with around 90...
- 12:00 Foreign media focus on KIZILELMA at SAHA 2026 - International exhibition coverage highlighted Baykar's KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft among the...
- 12:00 International observers track KAAN and export milestones - The Defense Watch reported that Türkiye entered 2026 with ongoing KAAN flight testing, record defenc...
- 12:00 German Patriot deployment underscores air-defence debate - Reuters reported that Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence system to southeastern Türkiye for s...
- 09:00 US Air Force expands focus on contested logistics operations - The US Air Force is increasing investment in contested logistics concepts, including autonomous resu...
- 09:00 European defence planners prioritise protection of ammunition facilities - European governments are investing in hardened storage sites and dispersed ammunition facilities to...
- 09:00 China advances integration of AI into military decision support - China is expanding efforts to incorporate artificial intelligence into command, intelligence and bat...
- 09:00 Japan strengthens rapid deployment capability for remote islands - Japan is enhancing airlift, sealift and logistics capabilities to reinforce remote island territorie...
- 09:00 Autonomous underwater vehicles gain importance in seabed security - Navies are increasingly deploying autonomous underwater vehicles to monitor seabed activity and prot...
- 09:00 Counter-drone systems increasingly combine soft-kill and hard-kill methods - Military organisations are adopting layered counter-UAS architectures that integrate jamming, spoofi...
- 09:00 Hypersonic missile threats accelerate investment in early warning networks - Defence agencies are expanding space-based and terrestrial early warning systems to improve detectio...
- 09:00 Distributed satellite constellations become standard military approach - Military space planners increasingly favour distributed constellations of smaller satellites to impr...
- 09:00 Collaborative combat aircraft drive changes in airpower doctrine - Air forces are adapting operational doctrine to incorporate autonomous collaborative aircraft that c...
- 09:00 Production depth increasingly determines defence export success - Defence customers are placing growing emphasis on supplier production capacity, delivery speed and l...
