Hanwha Systems signs deal on military communications network

Hanwha Systems has signed a deal worth 468.5 billion won ($403.8 million) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to supply equipment needed to build a Tactical Information Communication Network (TICN). / Courtesy of Hanwha Systems

By Yi Whan-woo

Hanwha Systems, a defense electronics arm of conglomerate Hanwha Group, has signed a deal with the government-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to supply equipment needed to transform the military communications network.

Hanwha Systems President and CEO Kim Youn-chul

The deal is worth 468.5 billion won ($403.8 million). It is the third in a series of contracts between Hanwha Systems and DAPA — which runs under the Ministry of National Defense — to build the Tactical Information Communication Network (TICN).

The TICN is aimed at integrating the analog-based network into digital networks equipped with high-speed telecommunications channels — wired and wireless.

“TICN will form a core of the Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) system,” Hanwha Systems said, referring to the military’s envisioned preparation for new warfare types.

Hanwha Systems President and CEO Kim Youn-chul said the company has contributed to the digitization of the military by supplying components under the two previous contacts.

“The firm will continue to make investment in research and development, work closely with our clients and partners and join hands enhancing defense capabilities based on information and communications technology (ICT),” Kim said.

Supply under the third contract will run from 2020 to 2022.

The first contract was worth $188.1 million and lasted until 2016. The second was worth $462.4 million and ran until this month.

The military is expected to be able to send and receive digital files — audio and video — regardless of size when the TICN is completed. It will keep command and control safe even if the communications network is destroyed during war.

Hanwha Systems had a record 2 trillion won in contracts this year.