During ADEX International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition, held this week in Seoul (Korea), Diehl Defence has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LIG Nex1, a major Korean defence contractor for missile systems and defence products. Since Diehl Defence’s short range air-to-air missile IRIS-T has been selected for the KF-21, Diehl Defence is gradually building up cooperation projects with Korean industry partners. With its expertise as experienced missile company, LIG Nex1 is the perfect match in the country to support the IRIS-T program.
The MoU foresees to explore possibilities for cooperation in the IRIS-T program to strengthen Diehl’s position in the Asian market.
The collaboration of Diehl Defence and LIG Nex1 comes as addition to the previous partnerships signed by Diehl Defence with Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI), beginning in 2017 with the start of the integration of IRIS-T into the KF-21 fighter. This was followed by a MoU, signed during ADEX 2021, on the integration of IRIS-T on KAI’s FA-50/T-50 as well.
Diehl Defence’s increased cooperation with Korean companies opens a new chapter in the success story of the IRIS-T missile. With growing demands in the Asian market for missile systems, Korean industry partners are becoming more and more involved in the program and will gain benefits from these demands.
Beyond opening up new market opportunities for IRIS-T applications, Diehl Defence is also incrementally developing new versions of IRIS-T. This ongoing work will provide IRIS-T with an increased performance potential protecting platforms from the threats of today and tomorrow.
By upgrading the current serial status of its missile, Diehl Defence ensures many more years of service life for IRIS-T to come.