Update – Paris Air Show 2023: Hanwha Systems, Leonardo partner to develop AESA radars

Hanwha Systems will partner with Leonardo to develop AESA radars for export. Hanwha Systems has earlier developed AESA radars for South Korea's KF-21 fighter aircraft (pictured) in collaboration with the ADD. (Defense Acquisition Program Administration)

South Korea's Hanwha Systems has signed an agreement with Leonardo to collaborate on the development and export of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars for light combat aircraft (LCA).

The agreement, signed at the Paris Air Show 2023, is expected to lead to the development of an “export model” of the AESA radar, Hanwha Systems said in a media release on 21 June.

The agreement is expected to facilitate Hanwha Systems' entry into the global AESA radar market as well as strengthen Leonardo's position in the global LCA market, Hanwha Systems added.

A spokesperson for Hanwha Systems told Janes on 23 June that the company “plans to implement integrated solutions by combining its AESA radar antenna devices with Leonardo's signal processing and power supply units”.

“[Hanwha Systems and Leonardo] believe that their respective strengths and technologies can be fully utilised to ensure reliable technology and competitive prices,” the spokesperson said.

An AESA radar can enable faster beam-steering by electronically controlling multiple small transmit/receive (T/R) modules integrated on its front, Hanwha Systems said. It also supports wide-area surveillance and simultaneous detection of multiple targets, enhancing situational awareness of defence forces, the company added.

This article, originally published on 22 June 2023, has been updated with new information.