High-profile delegates from the Ministry of National Guard (MNG) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visited a ROK Army firing range on November 5 to observe a combined firepower demonstration of South Korean major weapons systems.
H.R.H. Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of MNG, led the group at the invitation of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense and Hanwha Aerospace, the largest defense manufacturer in Korea, as part of efforts to expand bilateral defense partnership.
A variety of Hanwha’s artillery and combat vehicles demonstrated their proven combat capabilities during the live-fire exercise, which was observed by the MNG delegates as well as South Korean delegates from the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Hanwha Aerospace.
During the drill, a batch of 18 K9A1 Self-Propelled Howitzers intensively launched more than 90 rounds into a target area, while K30W Chunho (Sky Tiger) anti-aircraft gun wheeled armored vehicles and K30 Biho (Flying Tiger) self-propelled anti-aircraft systems fired heavy machine guns at aerial targets. The K21 Infantry Fighting Vehicle showed its outstanding amphibious maneuverability on the battlefield.
The event also included the showcase of newly developing combat platforms optimized for the KSA requirements. Among them are the 155mm Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer fitted with an automated unmanned turret; the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon; the TIGON wheeled armored vehicle equipped either with anti-tank guided missiles or a 120mm mortar; and the Hybrid Short-Range Air Defense (H-SHORAD) wheeled system armed with a 30mm gun unmanned turret and a surface-to-air missile system.
“Today, we had a great opportunity to show our advanced defense technologies and products to the MNG delegation,” said Vice President Oh Kyeahwan, Head of Hanwha Aerospace Middle East & Africa. “Hanwha is fully committed to providing best-in-class defense solutions in all domains of air, sea, and land to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under strong bilateral partnership.”
Following the combined firepower demonstration, the KSA delegation is scheduled to review Hanwha’s up-to-date air defense systems, including the laser-guided anti-aircraft weapon, later this week.
A day earlier, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan held a meeting with H.R.H. Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to confer on ways of expanding bilateral cooperation in economic and security affairs. During the one-on-one meeting in Seoul, Kim stressed Hanwha’s strong commitment to contributing to KSA’s Vision 2030 initiative and defense modernization efforts. Both sides also agreed to make joint efforts to respond to security issues in the Middle East.
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