LIG and Hanwha Likely to Lead the KF-21 Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile Localization Project

LIG Defense & Aerospace and Hanwha Aerospace are increasingly likely to divide up key areas in the localization project for the longrange airtoair missile to be mounted on the Korean fighter jet KF21 Boramae. According to the defense industry, the Agency for Defense Development notified participating companies of the evaluation results for the relevant project on the 2nd. LIG D&A is said to have received high evaluations in major areas such as systems integration and seeker, while Hanwha Aerospace received high evaluations in areas such as airframe structure and propulsion system, as well as warhead and fuze. The final preferred negotiating partner is expected to be confirmed through subsequent procedures. This project aims to secure a domestically produced longrange airtoair missile to replace the European MBDA's 'Meteor' currently used by the KF21. A total of about 1.9 trillion won will be invested in development and mass production, and if localization is achieved, it could reduce dependence on foreign weapons and also enhance the KF21's export competitiveness.