South Korea’s First Uncrewed Military Ground Vehicle Set for Production

Hanwha Aerospace is preparing to mass-produce South Korea’s first multipurpose uncrewed ground vehicle selected for military deployment, with deliveries to Army and Marine Corps infantry units due to begin next year.

The defense company demonstrated the Arion-SMET at its Changwon Plant 2 in South Gyeongsang Province. During the demonstration, the four-wheeled vehicle autonomously followed a walking soldier, moved under remote control and transported supplies to a preset destination without a driver aboard.

Hanwha signed a mass-production contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Sept. 4. The latest vehicle can carry about 450 kilograms and travel at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. Its functions include off-road autonomous driving, following troops and moving supplies, tasks intended to reduce soldiers’ physical workload and exposure to danger.

The vehicle also has an artificial intelligence-based remote fire-control system. A mounted 7.62-millimeter weapon station can track a target while the platform is moving, but Hanwha said decisions to fire remain with a human operator. Company researchers emphasized that an AI recommendation cannot by itself establish that a target is hostile or authorize an attack.

Development began in 2016 as a civil-military cooperation project. A second-generation model participated in the US Department of Defense’s Foreign Comparative Testing program in late 2023, and the Korean military later selected a third-generation model incorporating lessons from earlier trials. Hanwha said the platform completed military selection tests without a mechanical failure.

The project also has a substantial domestic supply-chain component. At least 98 percent of the vehicle has been localized, with around 40 Korean suppliers providing parts. Hanwha expects that domestic sourcing will support faster maintenance and logistics once the vehicles enter service.

An assembly area for the Arion-SMET is scheduled to be installed at the Changwon plant next year. The facility already manufactures a range of land-defense systems, including K200 and K21 armored vehicles, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers and Cheongung-II missile launchers.

Hanwha plans to establish six common uncrewed ground-vehicle platforms across light, medium and heavy classes by 2030. It also aims to develop technology by 2029 that would allow existing systems, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer and Chunmoo, to operate either with crews or without them depending on the mission. The company said military testing of new operational concepts will be essential if uncrewed platforms are to change battlefield practices rather than simply replicate existing ones.