en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hanwha Group plans to invest 55 trillion won in aerospace and artificial intelligence by 2040, building an independent space infrastructure encompassing launch vehicles, satellites, and defense AI data centers, with a strategic base to be established in the Yeongnam region of South Korea.

Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan announced this long-term investment strategy on July 3 at the National Vision Report Meeting for Advanced Industry Development in the Yeongnam region. The investment will be executed by the group's two affiliated companies, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems, from this year through 2040.

Hanwha Aerospace will invest 23 trillion won in launch vehicle development, planning to build an integrated assembly facility along with corresponding R&D and testing infrastructure, transitioning to commercial launch services while securing independent space transportation capabilities. The company will also invest 2 trillion won in defense AI, developing manned and unmanned aerial and ground weapon systems as well as integrated manned-unmanned aerial combat capabilities.

Hanwha Systems will invest 20 trillion won in satellite technology, planning to build its own Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation, space-based AI data centers, and a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication network. The architecture consists of three layers: an Earth observation satellite constellation at 350 km altitude for ground and maritime intelligence gathering, a space-based AI data center at 400 km, and a LEO satellite communication network at 900 km for real-time data transmission. Hanwha Systems plans to launch 64 SAR satellites by 2031 to provide continuous real-time surveillance, with the communication network initially starting service with 192 satellites, followed by an additional 60 to replace aging spacecraft and expand Arctic coverage. All satellites will be launched using launch vehicles developed by Hanwha Aerospace.

The group also plans to build a defense AI data center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Energy will jointly invest 10 trillion won, each contributing an equal share. The facility will begin operations this year with a capacity of 45 megawatts (MW), and plans to expand in phases to 135 MW by 2032, with power demand supplied through Hanwha Energy's generation assets.

Hanwha Group will additionally invest 2 trillion won in developing the Defense OS, a defense AI model for battlefield data training and inference, with completion planned for 2040. The project aims to transform systems including the K9 self-propelled howitzer, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles, and autonomous drones into intelligent weapon platforms, while enhancing Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS).

"The first step in securing space sovereignty is developing our own launch vehicle," said Kim Dong-kwan. "We will ensure that South Korea has the capability to access space at any time."