Eurosatory 2026 | South Korea, Türkiye & the Fight for Europe's Defence Contracts

Two decades ago, South Korea and Turkey each imported the overwhelming majority of their military equipment. Today both countries have reversed that dependency entirely, producing roughly 80% of their defence needs domestically, and at Eurosatory 2026 both are converting that industrial transformation into export contracts and manufacturing partnerships across Europe. South Korea's Hanwha is the centrepiece of the Korean presence, presenting the K9A2, the latest variant of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, with an increased rate of fire, reduced crew requirements, and composite tracks for improved mobility. The K9 is already in service or on order in ten countries. Earlier this year, Norway selected Hanwha's Chunmoo rocket launcher over the American HIMARS in a contract worth over 900 million dollars. Hanwha is simultaneously building its first European production facility in Romania, targeting 80% local sourcing, embedding Korean defence manufacturing directly inside the continent rather than simply exporting finished systems. Hyundai Rotem brought the K2 Black Panther main battle tank and a new AI-driven unmanned turret designed for counter-drone defence. Hyundai Wia made its European debut with a lightweight 105mm self-propelled howitzer weighing less than half of comparable wheeled systems, with an 18km firing range and helicopter transportability. Turkey's ASELSAN presented Steel Dome, a layered air and missile defence architecture integrating sensors, command and control, and effectors including the DRONEDEF counter-drone system combining laser weapons, anti-drone guns, and high-power electromagnetic effectors. ASELSAN is exploring integration of its systems onto Mercedes-Benz trucks through a new agreement with Daimler. FNSS is partnering with the Czech Republic's CSG Group to manufacture armoured vehicles on European soil. Turkish firm Skydagger signed a co-production deal with America's L3Harris for drone interceptors feeding into the Vampire counter-drone system. The pattern across both countries is identical: not just selling hardware, but building industrial roots inside Europe. Subscribe for weekly in-depth defence analysis:    / @defencecentral   Topics Covered Hanwha K9A2 Thunder howitzer: upgrades, crew reduction, and export track record Norway's Chunmoo over HIMARS: a 900 million dollar signal to Western suppliers Hanwha Romania facility: 80% local sourcing and European manufacturing footprint K2 Black Panther and Hyundai Wia 105mm howitzer European debut ASELSAN Steel Dome and DRONEDEF counter-drone architecture FNSS and CSG Group: armoured vehicle manufacturing on European soil Skydagger and L3Harris: Turkish-American drone interceptor co-production Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:00 South Korea's Defence Industry Transformation 2:30 Hanwha K9A2 and the Chunmoo Deal 4:30 Hanwha Romania and European Manufacturing 6:00 K2 Black Panther and Hyundai Wia Debut 7:30 Turkey's ASELSAN and Steel Dome 9:00 FNSS, Skydagger and Joint Ventures 10:30 Outro #Eurosatory2026 #Hanwha #K9Thunder #K9Howitzer #K2BlackPanther #HyundaiRotem #HyundaiWia #ASELSAN #SteelDome #DRONEDEF #FNSS #Skydagger #SouthKoreaDefence #TurkeyDefence #TurkishDefenceIndustry #KoreanDefenceIndustry #CounterDrone #SelfPropelledHowitzer #ChunmooRocket #EuropeanRearmament #LandWarfare #Eurosatory #DroneDefence #ArmyModernisation #DefenceExhibition #MilitaryTechnology #ArmsExports #NATODefence #DefenceNews #DefenceCentral Other Recommended Videos The South Korean K9 Howitzer:    • The South Korean K9 Howitzer: The World's ...   The Charles de Gaulle: The Only Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Outside the US:    • France's Nuclear Aircraft Carrier: The Mos...   Canada's Eagle APDS: The First Balloon-Launched Stealth Drone:    • The Eagle APDS: How Stealth Balloons are R...   Iran's Last F-14 Tomcat Has Been Destroyed:    • Iran's Last F-14 Tomcat Has Been Destroyed...   Subscribe Now:    / @defencecentral