Hanwha Aerospace's GRUNT unmanned ground vehicle / Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace showcased its unmanned combat vehicles on a Romanian battlefield this week, offering European military officials a glimpse of how future wars could be fought by coordinated fleets of armored vehicles, robots and drones operating side by side.

The company said Friday it successfully completed a live demonstration of its manned-unmanned teaming combat system during “Demo Day,” an event linked to the BSDA 2026 defense exhibition in Romania.

Hanwha Aerospace was the only Korean company invited to participate in the event, which took place Monday at an outdoor tactical training ground near Bucharest.

The demonstration featured the company’s TIGON wheeled armored vehicle operating in coordination with unmanned ground vehicles, including Hanwha’s GRUNT platform and the THeMIS vehicle developed by Estonia-based Milrem Robotics.

Among those in attendance were Lt. Gen. Ciprian Marin, chief of staff of the Romanian Army; Maj. Gen. Mircea Gologan, deputy chief of defense for resources; and Maj. Gen. Daniel Pop, deputy chief of the Romanian Army Staff, along with defense industry officials from multiple countries.

In the exercise scenario, the GRUNT and THeMIS vehicles were deployed first into hazardous areas to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance missions linked with drones, while the TIGON armored vehicle handled troop transport and fire support operations.

The unmanned systems also demonstrated battlefield logistics capabilities, including supply transport and casualty evacuation.

Hanwha said the GRUNT platform, developed from the Arion-SMET system, uses a hybrid propulsion system and can carry payloads of up to 900 kilograms. The vehicle also demonstrated autonomous following, automatic target recognition and electronic warfare response capabilities.

A Romanian military commander attending the event said the exercise showed “how existing weapon systems and UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) assets can be integrated in future operations.”

Source: Korea Times News