LIG Defense&Aerospace (LIG D&A) said on the 12th that it signed a memorandum of understanding for "establishing a business cooperation system in the interceptor drone field" with Nearthlab, a drone artificial intelligence (AI) corporations based on autonomous flight guidance technology.
The agreement was signed to organically combine LIG D&A's comprehensive capabilities in integrated air defense systems and Nearthlab's AI software and autonomous flight–based interceptor drone technology.
The two companies jointly exhibited a counter-drone hard-kill system at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) last year, and they plan to develop a more advanced, combat-ready integrated counter-drone solution.
To that end, they will advance cooperation on the rapid demonstration project for a counter-drone hard-kill close-in protection system, the development of a derivative interceptor drone for counter-drone operations, and interceptor drones for domestic use and export.
The signing ceremony was held on the 2nd at 2 Pangyo House in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, with key officials including Chief Executive Shin Ik-hyun of LIG D&A and Chief Executive Choi Jae-hyeok of Nearthlab in attendance.
Shin said, "Through the cooperation between the two companies, we will secure unrivaled competitiveness in the interceptor segment of the global integrated air defense market."
Choi said, "By adding Nearthlab's AI interceptor drone capabilities to LIG D&A's integrated air defense network, we will successfully unveil a combat-ready integrated counter-drone solution to the global market."