Hanwha Aerospace to set up joint venture in Poland for Chunmoo rocket production

Son Jae-il, front left, president and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, shakes hands with Piotr Wojciechowski, CEO of WB Group, during a ceremony to sign a joint venture agreement in Kielce, Poland, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace

KIELCE, Poland — Hanwha Aerospace and Poland’s WB Group agreed to set up a joint venture, Tuesday (local time), for local production of guided rockets for the Korean-made Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system.

The two sides held a signing ceremony for the agreement at the International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Poland.

Under the deal, the new company will first manufacture 80-kilometer-range CGR-080 guided rockets to be deployed on the Homar-K, Poland’s variant of the Chunmoo. The joint venture plans to build new production facilities and hire local staff, with future goals including diversifying its munition lineups and pursuing export to other European countries.

“Poland and Korea have both endured repeated invasions from larger neighbors, yet each has managed to overcome those hardships and grow stronger,” Son Jae-il, president and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said during the signing ceremony.

“That shared history of overcoming invasions and adversity is what makes Korea and Poland the best partners for each other,” he said.

Son added that the joint venture is built on years of trust with WB. “Hanwha’s ambition is to be recognized as a reliable partner to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). By collaborating with Poland, we aim to contribute to the country’s security while also creating employment opportunities and supporting local industry through technology transfer and on-site production,” he said.

The agreement is a reflection of the shifting dynamics of Europe’s defense industry, where governments have increasingly emphasized domestic and regional suppliers. Hanwha said it is seeking to expand into the European market by working with local partners in Poland as part of its response to the region’s push for defense industry bloc formation. The company added that building local production facilities will strengthen security cooperation with Poland and provide a foothold for deeper cooperation with NATO and entry into the global market.

Besides the local production through the joint venture, Poland has been one of Korea's largest defense customers in recent years, with a $22 billion arms package deal including K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 fighter jets and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.