Hanwha partners with Milrem in Romania

Hanwha Aerospace said on May 15 that it had signed a teaming agreement with Estonia’s Milrem Robotics to pursue Romania’s unmanned ground-vehicle program, adding another European partnership to the South Korean defense group’s regional expansion. The agreement was signed on May 14 during the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace 2026 exhibition in Bucharest, according to Hanwha and other industry reports. Hanwha Aerospace Romania, the company’s local subsidiary, is part of the arrangement. The companies said the project would combine wheeled and tracked unmanned systems for Romanian requirements and broader NATO-facing markets. ### Which companies signed, and where was the deal announced? BSDA 2026 in Bucharest was the setting for the signing, which Hanwha said took place on the exhibition’s sidelines on May 14. Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Aerospace Romania and Milrem Robotics were the signatories, according to company and industry accounts. Army Technology reported that the event was attended by Hanwha Aerospace Romania CEO Lino Lim, Hanwha Aerospace unmanned land systems business division head Byungho Park and Milrem Robotics CEO Kuldar Väärsi. (en.yna.co.kr) Yonhap reported on May 15 that Hanwha plans to use the partnership to participate in Romanian UGV projects and to establish a local production facility and supply chain in Romania. Hanwha’s own BSDA statement said its exhibition theme was “Built with Romania, Ready for NATO,” tying the UGV pitch to localization and European market access. ### What exactly are Hanwha and Milrem putting together? (army-technology.com) Hanwha said the Romanian offer would center on its GRUNT wheeled unmanned ground vehicle and Milrem’s THeMIS tracked platform. The company described GRUNT as an upgraded version of its Arion-SMET 6x6 system with payload capacity of more than 900 kilograms and operational range of about 290 kilometers. Milrem describes THeMIS as a modular tracked unmanned platform for combat, intelligence and logistics roles, while Hanwha said the version shown at BSDA can carry payloads of up to 1,200 kilograms. (en.yna.co.kr) Army Technology said the cooperation is meant to combine Hanwha’s wheeled-platform production and localization capabilities in Romania with Milrem’s tracked-UGV expertise developed in Estonia. Hanwha said the two companies are also advancing localized variants tailored to Korean and Romanian operational requirements. ### What did they show in Europe alongside the signing? (hanwha.com) Hanwha and Milrem recently ran a live manned-unmanned teaming demonstration with Hanwha’s TIGON wheeled armored vehicle, Hanwha’s GRUNT UGV and Milrem’s THeMIS cargo UGV, according to Army Technology. The demonstration simulated reconnaissance, logistics support, casualty evacuation and drone-enabled battlefield tasks. (army-technology.com) Hanwha’s May 14 release said its BSDA display was anchored by unmanned and AI-enabled systems, including the GRUNT wheeled platform and the THeMIS-K tracked system. The company also said Hanwha Systems was presenting AI-based satellite data analytics and naval systems tailored to Black Sea security requirements. (army-technology.com) ### Why is Romania part of this push? Romania was described by Yonhap as moving to introduce next-generation unmanned ground vehicles amid broader European demand for multipurpose unmanned systems. Hanwha’s statement said the Romanian offer is being framed around local production and industrial cooperation, with the company seeking a Romania-tailored solution rather than an off-the-shelf export. (hanwha.com) Lino Lim, chief executive of Hanwha Aerospace Romania, said at BSDA that the collaboration was aimed at bringing advanced unmanned capabilities into Romania through localized production and industrial cooperation. He said the companies wanted to provide a flexible and scalable solution for Romanian operational needs while contributing to the country’s defense industrial base. (en.yna.co.kr) ### How does this fit Hanwha’s broader European business? Hanwha said in its BSDA release that it is accelerating a European localization strategy and expanding across European Union and NATO markets. The company’s statement linked the Bucharest exhibition not only to unmanned systems but also to its wider land and air-defense portfolio. (army-technology.com) The next public marker is the close of BSDA 2026 on May 15 at ROMAERO in Bucharest, where Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems said they were presenting unmanned ground systems, air-defense products and AI-enabled surveillance tools to regional customers and officials. (hanwha.com)