Hanwha Systems said on the 18th it will supply the avionics large-area display (ELAD) for the latest F-15K fighters of the South Korean Air Force and the U.S. Air Force's F-15EX produced by the U.S. aircraft manufacturing and defense corporations Boeing.
With this supply contract, Hanwha Systems is entering the U.S. market for the first time. A Hanwha Systems official said it was the result of government-led industrial cooperation and sales diplomacy, including the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Aircraft Business Division, backed by Hanwha Systems' avionics technology.
Hanwha Systems' large-area multifunction display integrates information distributed across multiple instrument panels into a single large screen. This quickly provides key cockpit information and improves the pilot's situational awareness and mission performance efficiency.
The multifunction display is produced based on the development capability of the display installed on the Korean next-generation fighter KF-21. Hanwha Systems plans to apply a design optimized for the mission environment, including the F-15EX airframe characteristics and cockpit layout.
The F-15EX is the latest model in the F-15 series, a fighter notable for its high weapons payload and range. F-15 series fighters are operated by several countries, including the United States, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Israel and Saudi Arabia, and cockpit modernization is underway.
Hanwha Systems said that starting with this contract, as its equipment is applied, Korean technology is expected to take a full-fledged part in the F-15 upgrade process.
A Hanwha Systems official said, "Including the F-15K performance improvement program for the South Korean Air Force, we will continue to advance our technology so that Hanwha Systems' multifunction display can be used in future U.S. F-15 upgrades and global new fighter programs."