Brent Ingraham, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, led a delegation to Hanwha Aerospace's defense production complex in Changwon on August 26, 2026, Korea Times and Korea Herald reported on September 2. The group toured the K9 self-propelled howitzer line where K9MH wheeled systems are now in production, observed robotic welding and other automated manufacturing, and watched live demonstrations of the K9MH, K9A1, and Chunmoo rocket launcher. The visit came eight days after Hanwha Defense USA won a $100 million US Army contract (up to $263 million with options) to deliver six K9MH prototypes for the Mobile Tactical Cannon program, with US production planned at a new facility in Alabama. Ingraham oversees more than 550 Army procurement programs worth about $170 billion, making the visit a strong signal of US interest in Korean artillery capacity.
The US Navy on September 1, 2026 began formal evaluations of three allied frigate designs, including South Korea's 4,300-ton Chungnam-class (FFX Batch III), alongside Japan's Mogami-class and Turkiye's Istanbul-class, USNI News reported. The plan, set out in an August 13 procurement framework with $1.85 billion in FY2027 funds, is to buy up to two ships from a foreign builder before transferring construction to US yards, with a selection deadline of November 12, 2026. The Chungnam-class is built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, SK Oceanplant, and Hanwha Ocean and features CODLOG propulsion with a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, a 30-knot top speed, and a strong anti-submarine fit. A US selection would be the first American purchase of a Korean-designed warship and would build on Hanwha's Philly Shipyard investment and the growing US-Korea shipbuilding partnership.
EGCED Tech, operator of the D4D (Deploy for Defense) platform, announced on August 28, 2026 a partnership with Korea Investment Accelerator to run a roughly three-month Oregon Defense Tech Base Camp for Korean startups in unmanned aircraft, autonomous systems, and robotics. Participants gain access to overseas flight-test environments through the Oregon UAS Accelerator, local industry partners, and university and defense-ecosystem networks in the state. The program directly addresses the regulatory and airspace constraints that limit drone and robotics testing inside Korea and builds on the Oregon MOU signed in Seoul in July after the D4D Hackathon.
The US Army awarded Hanwha Defense USA a contract on August 18, 2026 to deliver six K9MH 8x8 wheeled 155mm howitzer prototypes under the Mobile Tactical Cannon program, aimed at eventually replacing the M777 towed howitzer. The award has a $100.3 million base value and a $262.9 million ceiling including an option for 12 more vehicles, with about four years of operational evaluation to follow. It is the first major direct US Army contract for Hanwha Defense USA and positions Hanwha for the Army's broader artillery modernization. Prototypes will be assembled at Hanwha's Opelika, Alabama facility, and US Army acquisition leadership toured Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon production lines on August 26 to review artillery and rocket manufacturing capacity.
Hanwha Systems reported consolidated second-quarter revenue of 1.1176 trillion won, up 45% year-on-year, and operating profit of 103.7 billion won, up 219%, lifting the operating margin 5.1 percentage points to 9.3% and marking the company's best-ever quarterly result. Net profit rose 14% to 52.7 billion won and the order backlog stood at 11.2959 trillion won at the end of June. The result was a sizeable earnings surprise against a consensus of 952.7 billion won in revenue and 57.9 billion won in operating profit. Management credited large-scale export programs entering full-scale delivery — gunner's sights and fire control systems for Poland's K2 tanks, and Cheongung-II multi-function radars for the UAE and Saudi Arabia — alongside domestic mass-production work including the KF-21 AESA radar, Ulsan-class Batch-III combat management systems, and domestic K2 production. The ICT division added contributions from Hanwha Life Insurance system upgrades, Hanwha Philly Shipyard ERP implementation, and Hanwha Aerospace smart plant construction, with Philly Shipyard losses narrowing toward a targeted turnaround.
Korea Investment Accelerator, part of the Korea Investment & Securities group, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oregon UAS Accelerator in Pendleton, Oregon, opening a pathway for its portfolio companies to run real-world U.S. demonstration projects and pursue U.S. non-dilutive funding such as SBIR and STTR grants. CEO Baek Yeo-hyun framed the tie-up as a route for K-defense and drone startups to break into the U.S. defense and public-sector market. The partnership extends the U.S.-entry momentum from the D4D hackathon's Oregon links earlier in July.
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startups Korea Investment Accelerator Oregon UAS Accelerator MOU
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will “probably” look at Korean and other companies for shipbuilding cooperation to reinforce the U.S. Navy, speaking at the Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The remarks follow the U.S. Navy issuing requests for information to leading Korean shipbuilders on their capacity to rapidly build destroyers and oilers, and build on the Trump–Lee agreement to deepen shipbuilding cooperation. Hanwha appears best positioned in the near term as the only Korean firm already owning a U.S. yard, having acquired Philly Shipyard for $100 million in December 2024 and working through the licensing needed to build combat ships domestically; Hanwha Defense USA president and CEO Michael Coulter told the summit that “our shipyard in Korea puts out about one ship a week. We have a plan to bring that capability to Philadelphia.” The push sits within the MASGA project, under which Seoul agreed to invest $150 billion toward revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding as part of a broader $350 billion U.S. investment package.
Competing proposals in the US Congress could determine how extensively South Korean shipbuilders participate in future US Navy construction. The House Armed Services Committee approved a fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill on June 5 that includes Rep. Jared Golden's amendment prohibiting Navy funding for battle force ships and major components built at foreign shipyards. The Senate Armed Services Committee took a different approach on June 11, allowing the Pentagon to procure up to two bulk fuel vessels and two strategic sealift vessels from allied foreign shipyards. The outcome will shape the direction of Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation, as Hanwha Ocean's Philadelphia shipyard investment and HD Hyundai's HII partnership both hinge on the final legislation.
KOTRA's Defense Materials Trade Support Center signed a memorandum of understanding with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) in Washington, D.C. to support Korean drone companies' entry into the U.S. market. The partnership aims to facilitate market access, industry networking, and regulatory navigation for K-drone manufacturers targeting the rapidly growing US unmanned systems sector.
LIG Defense & Aerospace (formerly LIG Nex1) made its first appearance at the Sea-Air-Space exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, June 20–22. The company showcased the Bigung (Poniard) 2.75-inch guided rocket and its Naval Launcher System (NLS), positioned for integration on unmanned surface vessels and smaller platforms. The Bigung passed final testing under the US Defense Department's Foreign Comparative Testing program, raising expectations for US export orders. LIG D&A established its US subsidiary LIG Defense U.S. Inc. earlier in 2026 to support market entry.
Hanwha Defense USA announced it has signed a three-year lease for a facility in Opelika, Alabama, that will serve as the U.S. integration and test site for its K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH) family. The investment exceeds $2 million and supports Hanwha's bid for the U.S. Army's Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, which aims to field over 400 modern wheeled 155mm artillery systems to replace aging M777 towed howitzers. The K9MH uses proven K9A2 technologies with a 155mm/52-caliber CN98 gun and modular vehicle architecture. A cooperative research agreement with the U.S. Army is also advancing integration of a government-designed 58-caliber cannon onto the K9 platform. Phase one is expected to create approximately 40 jobs.
Lockheed Martin announced on April 23 its withdrawal from the US Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition, a program valued at over $40 billion to replace aging T-45 trainers. The withdrawal effectively ends KAI's bid with its TF-50N, a variant of the proven T-50 Golden Eagle that had been considered a strong candidate. Lockheed cited program requirements — specifically the "required level of U.S. content" — as making its offering a less-than-ideal fit. The competition narrows to Boeing (T-7B), Textron/Leonardo (M-346N), and Sierra Nevada Corporation. This marks another setback for KAI's efforts to enter the US military aviation market.
LIG Defense & Aerospace (formerly LIG Nex1) announced the establishment of its first American subsidiary, LIG Defense U.S. Inc., on April 8, 2026. The entity will serve as the company's primary hub for partnership development, technology exchange, and market engagement across the U.S. defense sector. Retired Vice Admiral Rich Brown, former Commander of Naval Surface Forces, was appointed senior advisor. The announcement came ahead of LIG D&A's planned debut at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.
Hanwha Defense USA confirmed the K9 mobile howitzer (K9MH) as its proposed testbed for the US Army's Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, which aims to field more than 400 modern wheeled artillery systems to replace the M777 155mm towed howitzer. The K9MH variant would be produced locally in the United States if selected, marking a potential breakthrough for Korean defense systems in the US market.
Hanwha is investing $5 billion in its Philadelphia shipyard (acquired in 2024) for US naval construction. Hanwha Defense USA won its first US Navy subcontract under the Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program, marking Korea's entry into US defense shipbuilding.
Hanwha Systems won a contract from Boeing for the Eagle Large Area Display for F-15K and F-15EX fighters, marking the first Korean avionics component export to the United States defense market.