US Army seals first South Korean CRADA
Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Defense will work on R&D and technology transfer with DEVCOM AC.
South Korean group Hanwha on 16 December announced that two of its businesses have signed a ‘major agreement’ with the US military for collaborative R&D of defence technologies.
Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Defense signed the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) on 10 December with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC).
Under the framework CRADA (the first of its kind between the US Army and a South Korean company), Hanwha and DEVCOM AC will conduct R&D into defence equipment and technologies through exchange of resources, technical expertise and intellectual property.
‘The outcomes of their joint projects will serve to greatly assist both countries’ needs for next-generation weapon and ammunition solutions,’ Hanwha noted.
For Hanwha, the CRADA dovetails with strategy to transfer technologies that can be incorporated into the US defence industrial base. The South Korean company is exploring a number of potential business opportunities in the US, potentially including the revived Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme.
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