Hanwha Systems Co. said it signed a contract with Boeing Co. to supply cockpit displays for F-15 fighter jets, marking the South Korean defense firm’s first entry into the American avionics market.
The agreement covers electronic large area display units for both the Korean Air Force’s F-15K and the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX, the company announced Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The deal stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in November 2023 between South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration and Boeing, aimed at expanding industrial cooperation tied to Seoul’s F-15K upgrade program, valued at ₩3.6 trillion ($2.5 billion).
Hanwha Systems, a unit of Hanwha Group, said its display technology builds on work done for Korea’s indigenous KF-21 fighter jet. The company already supplies seven avionics systems for that program.
Boeing characterized the agreement as its first avionics supply contract with a Korean firm, rather than the structural component deals that have historically defined the relationship.
While Hanwha Systems portrayed the deal as validation of its technology in the American market, the company faces steep competition in global avionics from established players. The undisclosed contract size makes it difficult to assess the commercial significance of the agreement beyond its symbolic value as a market entry point.
Hanwha Systems has been expanding its defense export footprint, supplying ship combat systems to the Philippine Navy and radar equipment for missile defense systems sold to Middle Eastern buyers.
