Ben Hudson to spearhead Hanwha’s defence operations in Europe and the UK

Ben Hudson, CEO of Hanwha Defence Australia, has been additionally appointed to lead Hanwha’s defence operations in Europe and the United Kingdom, Hanwha announced on 18 July 2025.

Hudson will also oversee Hanwha’s existing operations across Europe and the UK while spearheading the company’s accelerating expansion in the region.

Hanwha already has programmes completed or underway in several European countries, including Poland, Romania, Norway, Finland, Estonia and the UK.

Over the past decade Hanwha has delivered five 37,000-ton Tide-class replenishment-at-sea (RAS) ships into Europe – four to the UK and one to Norway – thus demonstrating the company’s naval shipbuilding capability.

In the land systems domain, meanwhile, Hanwha has secured contracts for the delivery of more than 800 K9 self-propelled howitzers to multiple European countries, including Poland, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Romania. As part of its strategic co-operation with Poland, Hanwha is also delivering 290 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.

In addition, Hanwha is a major supplier of artillery modular charges to NATO customers in Europe and has established deep industrial partnerships across the continent to facilitate the export of European-made components and technologies in support of South Korean and international defence programmes.

“I am honoured to join our European and UK defence leadership team at such a pivotal moment for both our company and our European partners,” Hudson was quoted as saying on his appointment. “Hanwha’s long-term vision starts at the very top of the company, with a drive to partner with our customers and create enduring sovereign capabilities that can deliver solutions to the defence and security challenges faced by nations now and into the future.”

Michael Coulter, president and CEO of Hanwha Global Defense, which oversees all global business campaigns, added, “Europe represents a vital part of Hanwha’s long-term, multi-domestic strategy, where we seek not only to expand our footprint, but also to invest in sovereign capacity and industrial resilience in partnership with local stakeholders. Hanwha is fully committed to working closely with our European partners for national priorities, and this appointment marks the beginning of the next phase of our journey: one grounded in trust, long-term collaboration, and shared security goals.”

Prior to joining Hanwha, Hudson held senior executive roles with BAE Systems, Rheinmetall and General Dynamics, including 15 years working for these companies in Switzerland, Germany and the UK. He is a mechanical engineer with an MBA from London Business School, served as an officer in the Australian Army, including operational service in East Timor, and holds both British and Australian citizenship.