On the 15th, local time, at the venue of "Eurosatory" 2026, which opened at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in France. Fitting for Europe's largest defense industry exhibition, people in navy and defense-colored uniforms caught the eye from all directions as soon as we entered the hall.
When we entered Hyundai Rotem's booth, a group in Romanian military uniforms was listening to an explanation about the HR-Sherpa, a multipurpose unmanned vehicle. Hyundai Rotem, along with Deputy Minister Won Jong-dae of the Ministry of National Defense, skillfully introduced each mission payload mounted on the HR-Sherpa to Romanian military officials.
They also looked around the export model of the K2 tank displayed at the booth and listened to an explanation. A moment later, Europeans in suits who walked in seemed intrigued as they looked at the HR-Sherpa promoted by Hyundai Rotem.
A considerable number of on-site attendees were listening to briefings on unmanned systems at defense corporations' booths. As the Russia-Ukraine war has come to be known as a "drone war," each company has unveiled ground and aerial unmanned systems, even integrating AI air-defense networks, prompting a shift. In the end, the core of Europe's rearmament plans is converging on "unmanned" operations.
◆The core keyword in Europe's defense industry is "unmanned"
At the 2024 exhibition, unmanned systems were displayed next to conventional weapons such as tanks and armored vehicles. But this year they were placed prominently at the front of the booths. The heightened importance was palpable. A domestic defense industry official said, "The battle for technological leadership among European defense corporations is heating up around unmanned operations."
At the center of the outdoor booth of KNDS, a German-French joint venture, were the Centurio medium multipurpose tactical vehicle and the THEMIS. They represent KNDS's unmanned vehicles.
The displayed vehicles were equipped with autocannons, but they can be swapped for desired payloads. A KNDS official said, "In the case of the THEMIS, the mission payload can be replaced in 10 minutes using a crane."
The official added, "The two models are at the core of KNDS's manned-unmanned teaming system and reflect combat experience." They are expected to be used together with the next-generation tank CAPINT unveiled at this exhibition.
Unmanned ground turrets also appeared in large numbers. A representative example is KNDS's Rapidfire Land, a ground-based version of the close-in weapon system (CIWS) normally mounted on warships.
The displayed product is fixed on the ground and operated remotely. It is a weapon designed to protect key infrastructure such as power plants from drone attacks.
General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) also unveiled the tracked combat robot Wolf G1, which mounts an unmanned turret on an unmanned vehicle. Linked with an unmanned aerial vehicle command vehicle, the robot is designed to move with the company's wheeled armored vehicles, enabling simultaneous air defense and attack.
Estonian corporation Milrem Robotics showcased its latest large unmanned combat vehicle, the HAVOC. This is the first time the actual vehicle has been revealed.
This vehicle is designed to be controlled remotely without a human driver. It can reach a top speed of 110 km/h. In addition to an autocannon, it integrates a missile launcher and drones, allowing for diverse uses. A Milrem official described it as "a robot deployed ahead of people."
◆Ukraine highlights air-defense network and drones… UAE advances into Europe
One feature of this Eurosatory is the large presence of Ukrainian companies. There were five in 2024, but this year the number has grown to around 80.
The one that drew attention at the exhibition was Firepoint, which came to Eurosatory for the first time. The pink FP-5 Flamingo long-range cruise missile displayed at the center is the company's flagship model. The booth also showed on-screen footage of striking Russia with its products.
Ukrainian state-owned defense corporation Spetstechnoexport unveiled the "Dragon," an air-defense system that modifies air-to-air missiles for ground launch. It integrates air-to-air missiles on a ground launcher for automatic firing.
Many of the weapons showcased by Ukraine are said to be the result of efforts to make maximum use of baseline munitions in any form, given the urgency on the country's battlefield. The startup Ukrarmo Tech exhibited numerous self-destructing drones priced in the several-million-won range.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) state-owned defense corporation EDGE also came to Eurosatory for the second time in a row. The company officially announced it would establish EDGE Europe this year. It has effectively set up a base in Europe, going beyond acquiring equity in companies such as Milrem Robotics.
The company also set up a joint venture with French aviation corporation Safran to develop next-generation missiles and weapons. The UAE is also cooperating with Korean defense companies. EDGE unveiled the Shadow 25, a precision-strike loitering munition, and the Phantomhawk, a vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft.
◆Korean defense also joins the competition by unveiling unmanned robots
Hyundai Rotem and Hyundai WIA jointly organized the Hyundai Motor Group booth. What Hyundai Rotem unveiled was a lineup of unmanned vehicles carrying separate mission payloads. It displayed an unmanned vehicle integrating various radars, the Shingung medium-range guided weapon for infantry, and the Hyeongung medium-range anti-tank guided weapon.
In addition, Hyundai Rotem showcased an unmanned-turret layered counter-drone defense system that intercepts enemy missiles and drones in stages from up to 4 km down to 20 m.
Boston Dynamics, the robotics affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, set up a booth and displayed the quadruped robot Spot. During the show, Spot demonstrated opening a door using its robotic arm. A Boston Dynamics official said, "It is being used for reconnaissance and other purposes by the U.S. military and several other countries," adding, "We participated to promote that."
Hanwha Aerospace also put unmanned vehicles at the forefront. Centered on the K-NIFV, an upgraded version of the Australian Redback armored vehicle and Hanwha's candidate for a next-generation armored vehicle, it introduced the concept of operating unmanned vehicles such as the H-UGV and UCL-L together.
The H-UGV and UCL-L are unmanned vehicles being jointly developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Hanwha Aerospace. It also displayed the H-SHORAD and H-SHIELD, which are counter-drone defense systems and ground-to-air composite weapon systems.
Poongsan displayed, in addition to its popular 155 mm high-explosive shells in the European market, multipurpose drones with swappable mission payloads.
A defense industry official said, "Like us, Europe is focusing on weapon systems that can be used efficiently while reducing personnel," adding, "Korean defense must also accelerate unmanned technologies."