On Monday, February 9, 2026, South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Estonia’s Frankenburg Technologies OÜ to establish cooperation aimed at jointly developing counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solutions for next-generation ground-based systems.
Photos: Hanwha Aerospace
The agreement was signed during the World Defense Show 2026 (WDS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The signatories were Dong-hyeon Kim, Head of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, and Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technologies OÜ.
Building on the success of exports of the K9 Kõu self-propelled howitzer since 2020 and the K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system since 2025, the agreement further deepens Hanwha’s cooperation with Estonia’s defense ecosystem, aiming to enhance the resilience of next-generation land systems against drone threats. The parties also reached a bilateral understanding to jointly explore further export opportunities in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Frankenburg Technologies is an Estonian defense company specializing in innovative missile systems. Under the agreement, the two companies will closely cooperate on the joint development and technological integration of C-UAS-class equipment. The system is currently being evaluated for initial application on Hanwha’s next-generation armored vehicle under development.
According to the terms of the partnership, Hanwha Aerospace will be responsible for system integration of the C-UAS capability onto platforms, while Frankenburg Technologies will develop the guided missiles, launchers, and fire-control software.
This partnership marks a further expansion of Hanwha Aerospace’s cooperation with Estonia’s defense industry. Following the signing of an agreement with Milrem Robotics on February 18, 2025, a leading European manufacturer of unmanned ground vehicles, Hanwha has concluded agreements with several Estonian companies, including Nortal, SensusQ, Marduk Technologies, and Go Craft. Hanwha plans to further broaden this cooperation into additional areas such as unmanned surface vehicles and ammunition production.
Hanwha Aerospace has been steadily building trust in Estonia by delivering artillery systems and, leveraging this strong relationship, aims to actively contribute to strengthening the country’s defense capabilities by offering its advanced solutions under the upcoming infantry fighting vehicle modernization program.
Dong-hyeon Kim, Head of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, said:
“This MoU serves as a pivotal opportunity to enhance the survivability and competitiveness of next-generation land weapon systems against the growing threat of drones on the future battlefield.”
He added “Hanwha is committed to contributing to Estonia’s security capabilities and the revitalization of its defence industry through joint development and technological cooperation across various fields.”
Kusti Salm, dyrektor generalny Frankenburg Technologies, powiedział:
“This collaboration with Hanwha Aerospace marks the start of a concrete, large-scale development program. Working with a partner of Hanwha’s global standing on a next-generation command vehicle demonstrates the maturity of our missile and C-UAS technologies and our ability to contribute meaningfully to major defence platforms.”
As noted, the two companies have also agreed to jointly explore additional opportunities for these systems in countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Press release
Frankenburg and Hanwha Aerospace agree to build affordable vehicle-based missile defence at scale
We are building affordable missiles and mass production in a category where scale has not existed before.
We do this because it is necessary – to equip the free world to win the… pic.twitter.com/9lNGFmJoJM
— Frankenburg Technologies (@FrankenburgTech) February 10, 2026
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