Multi-purpose unmanned vehicle targets Middle East market in collaboration with domestic defence companies
Hyundai Rotem is showcasing its advanced ground unmanned platform technology optimased for the future battlefield environment in the Middle East market.
Hyundai Rotem announced on the 5th that it will participate in the '2024 Saudi International Defence Exhibition (WDS),' which will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia for five days from the 4th to the 8th (local time).
The exhibition, now in its second year, is jointly organised by the Saudi Ministry of Defence, the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and the state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI). In total, more than 750 defence companies from 45 countries will participate, exchanging technologies ranging from ground-based weapon systems to space defence.
Hyundai Rotem will be showcasing its line-up of ground unmanned platforms to expand its market base. Mock-ups of Middle Eastern multi-purpose unmanned vehicles painted in desert blue, including a full-size multi-purpose unmanned vehicle and a defence drone, which will make its debut in the Middle East market, will be on display.
In recent years, unmanned systems technology has been identified as a key area for the global defence market to prepare for the future battlefield environment. As troop resources are shrinking due to the global declining birthrate and aging population, advanced unmanned equipment incorporating the 4th Industrial Revolution technologies such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as an alternative to minimise troop losses in the future.
Hyundai Rotem's multi-purpose unmanned vehicle (HR-SHERPA) has a wide scalability that can be used in various operations and missions. It can be used to transport wounded soldiers, ammunition, and troops, or carry out surveillance and reconnaissance missions with fast chargers and remote armaments. The Middle Eastern multi-purpose unmanned vehicle on display will be equipped with LIG Nexon's anti-tank guided weapons.
The multi-purpose unmanned vehicle was first proposed by Hyundai Rotem to the Korea Aerospace Industries Agency, and the research and development began in earnest in December 2020 when it was awarded the sole contract for the rapid prototype acquisition project. The rapid prototype acquisition project is a system designed to quickly introduce advanced weapon systems to the military in line with the pace of technological development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Hyundai Rotem's multi-purpose unmanned vehicles played a key role in the military's urgent procurement decision by successfully completing a six-month field trial after two prototype vehicles were delivered to the military for the first time in Korea in July 2021. For more than three years, the vehicle has been appearing in military combat tests and large-scale national events, including participating in the Combined and Joint Fire Destruction Drills and the 75th Armed Forces Day ceremony in June and September last year, contributing to national defense innovation as a future ground weapon system.
Hyundai Rotem is collaborating with Hyundai Motor Group in various vehicle technology R&D fields such as mobility and electrification systems, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously improve the performance of multi-purpose unmanned vehicles. In the future, Hyundai plans to proactively respond to military needs by promoting the serialisation of unmanned platforms ranging from unmanned aerial reconnaissance, mine detection and drone vehicles to unmanned heavy combat vehicles.
LIG Nexon One's ADS (Anti-Drone System) will be applied to the Defence Drone, a future unmanned platform based on hydrogen fuel cells. The Defence Drone, which made its debut at the 2021 Seoul ADEX, Korea's largest defence industry exhibition, is capable of autonomous and remote driving and can be equipped with various mission equipment depending on the purpose of operation.
In addition, the export-type K2 tank (K2EX) and related tanks, which were unveiled for the first time at the '2023 Seoul ADEX, will also be on display in a Middle Eastern style painted in desert blue. A lineup of customized weapons systems specific to the region will be promoted, including a series of 30-tonne wheeled armoured personnel carriers with unmanned turrets and string bows, as well as improved protection and water propulsion capabilities.
Meanwhile, at the first Saudi International Defence Exhibition held in 2022, Hyundai Rotem drew local interest by showcasing multi-purpose unmanned vehicles and wheeled armoured vehicles, including the Middle East-type K2 tank, which has a sunshade to allow the vehicle to operate in the Middle East's heat.
"We will do our best to inform the world about Hyundai Rotem's excellent unmanned system technology, focusing on multi-purpose unmanned vehicles whose performance and technology have been certified in the army's current operations and various combat experiments and trials," said an official from Hyundai Rotem.