Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s premier aerospace and defense organization, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Widad Business Group, a prominent Malaysian investment company. The partnership aims to supply the K239 Chunmoo rocket launcher for the Malaysian Army’s upcoming acquisition of multiple rocket launch systems.
This preliminary agreement was formalized on May 6 by Tan Sri Dato Muhammad Ikmal Opat Abdullah, Chairman of Widad Business Group, and Go Sang-hwe, Executive Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace and General Manager of its Daejeon Plant. The signing ceremony was a highlight of the Defence Service Asia (DSA) Exhibition and Conference 2024, running from May 6-9 in Kuala Lumpur. Distinguished attendees included Malaysia’s Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, South Korea’s Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Seok Jong-gun, Malaysian Chief of Armed Forces General Tan Sri Muhammad Ab Rahman, and General Tan Sri Dato’ Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, Chief of the Malaysian Army.
Expressing his confidence in the partnership, Tan Sri Dato Muhammad Ikmal Opat Abdullah praised Hanwha’s global defense achievements. “With their ambition, innovation, and drive to excel internationally, Hanwha Aerospace is the ideal partner to propel our growth in the defense sector,” he remarked, anticipating beneficial outcomes from this collaboration.
From Hanwha’s side, Go Sang-hwe reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing Malaysia’s military capabilities. “Through this MOU, we are set to explore effective strategies to bolster the defense landscape in Malaysia, ensuring collaborative success and prosperity,” he stated.
As part of its defense modernization strategy, Malaysia plans to replace its outdated fleet of 36 Astros II systems, procured from Brazil, with advanced rocket launchers and support vehicles by 2026. The call for final proposals is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025.
The K239 Chunmoo, a state-of-the-art self-propelled multiple rocket launcher, is already in service with South Korea, Poland, and other Middle Eastern nations. Notable for its versatility, the K239 MRLS can accommodate two types of rocket pods simultaneously, and each launcher vehicle is supported by an ammunition vehicle carrying four reload pods. It supports a variety of munitions, including 130mm and 239mm rockets, and a 290mm ballistic missile, capable of striking targets up to 290 km away. This missile was recently successfully tested in South Korea under the Polish Homar-K project at a national test site.
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