“No matter how good a weapon’s performance is, it is useless without consistent follow-up support. In the near future, an MRO platform based on AI (artificial intelligence) will take on the role of military logistics staff.”
At the Hanwha Building in Janggyo-dong, Seoul, earlier this month, Park Jae-hoon, head of the MRO Division at Hanwha System, noted that “the era will come when AI monitors the status of military equipment and advises commanders on the necessary measures.” MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, referring to a series of activities that ensure military equipment operates smoothly from its deployment until its disposal.
Military equipment continues to increase in number due to multiple upgrades extending equipment lifespan and the ongoing deployment of newly developed equipment. The latest equipment tends to be expensive, has a long lifecycle, and incorporates advanced technologies, necessitating a high level of MRO. This is why a more efficient MRO approach than in the past has become necessary to maintain equipment availability.
Hanwha System developed the MRO-specialized platform 'TOMMS' in 2023 based on expertise accumulated in the operation and maintenance of weapons systems and extensive experience in building various computerized systems. TOMMS is an acronym for 'Total Operation & Maintenance Management System' and is designed to assist with the MRO of all weapons systems operated in land, sea, and air.
Director General Park, who took part in the development of TOMMS, joined Samsung Thales' mechanical technology team in 2002. He remained with the company when Hanwha Group acquired Samsung Thales, changing its name to Hanwha System in 2015. He successively held positions such as planning manager for the product engineering department in 2018 and team leader for the mechanical technology team at the Gimpo plant in 2019. He was later appointed head of the MRO business team at the Gimpo plant in 2022 and has been serving as the head of the MRO division at the headquarters since December last year.
─Please explain TOMMS.
“It is similar to a kind of internet platform that updates in real time. When users access the TOMMS system, they can check the status of all registered equipment and operational environment information on the screen. In the past, different computerized systems were used for each company or project, but TOMMS has consolidated this into one platform.
TOMMS records the history of operation, maintenance, and technical support for registered equipment while predicting failures through AI big data analysis, providing information on repair parts and materials needed for maintenance. It helps the military to maintain optimal combat readiness.”
─Does our military also use TOMMS?
“Nowadays, military MRO is often carried out under Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contracts. Under PBL, specialized companies are responsible for the MRO of various weapons systems, and monetary rewards or penalties are applied based on the achievement of specified performance measurement indicators (availability, procurement period, etc.).
Last year, Hanwha System signed PBL contracts for Tactical Information Communication Network (TICN), short-range surface-to-air missile 'Cheonma', Command Control and Alert (C2A), Thermal Surveillance System (TAS-815K), and K1 tanks through TOMMS. This year, TOMMS is expected to be applied to various domestic PBL projects, including the KF-21 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
─Is the AI-based MRO support like TOMMS actually delivering meaningful results?
“Hanwha System has taken charge of the MRO for the 'Cheonma' tracking device since the past. The Cheonma system was first produced in 2001 and has been in use for nearly 25 years. In the past, maintenance schedules averaged 379 days, exceeding a year, but after implementing Hanwha System's AI-based MRO, this was significantly reduced to about 92 days. The current operational availability remains commendable at around 97-98%.”
─Is the export of the TOMMS platform also being pursued?
“Countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Poland, which have adopted Korean-made weapons, are showing interest. Since the business does not conclude with a simple purchase of weapons systems, but follow-up MRO is more important, foreign countries are considering the introduction of TOMMS.
One of TOMMS' key features, remote maintenance support, is also attracting interest from foreign customers. This innovative approach allows on-site maintenance personnel to receive instructions from experts through video calls using tablets, while entering the actions taken back into TOMMS to update the equipment status. Recently, an engineer in Korea demonstrated remote support for the exported 'Cheongung' radar using TOMMS, and local officials were notably satisfied.
─What are the sales status and goals for Hanwha System's MRO business?
“Currently, the company records over 300 billion won in annual sales based on domestic figures. In three years, it expects to surpass 500 billion won, and within ten years, it anticipates reaching 1 trillion won.”