German missile and air defence specialist Diehl Defence and South’s Korean defence company Hanwha have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering potential co-operation in the field of ground-based air defence (GBAD), Diehl announced on 23 October 2025.
The MoU was signed during the Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition (ADEX) 2025, held in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from 17 to 24 October.
Under the agreement, both companies will evaluate the potential to co-operate in the area of exploring the integration of Hanwha Systems’ range of Multi-Function Radars (MFRs) into Diehl Defence’s GBAD systems. The venture thus combines complementary capabilities of both companies and is intended to open up new market opportunities by jointly offering solutions to potential customers including, but not limited to, South Korea.
Moving forward, Hanwha and Diehl Defence intend to establish a wider strategic partnership for mutual co-operation in the future.
Diehl Defence currently offers a family of GBAD systems, particularly the IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM systems covering the short to medium ranges respectively. Adding Hanwha’s MFRs to its GBAD systems would allow Diehl Defence to address an even wider scope of customer needs, the company stated.
So far, 11 countries have ordered the IRIS-T SLM system.
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