South Korea’s military will begin fielding indigenously built bomb disposal robots from Hanwha Aerospace later this year, marking a significant step toward improving operational safety and efficiency.
Valued at 270 billion won ($192.8 million), the program will supply explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) tactical robots to all branches of the armed forces by the end of 2027.
The robots are engineered to detect, defuse, and monitor explosive threats, as well as to conduct reconnaissance in high-risk areas, clear demilitarized zone routes, and search subterranean tunnels, according to South Korean media.
Innovation and Development Background
The introduction of these robots is expected to revolutionize how Korean troops confront explosive hazards. Each unit can remotely locate and neutralize mines and IEDs, removing soldiers from direct danger zones.
Designed for flexibility, the systems can carry multiple mission-specific attachments such as robotic arms, panoramic cameras, X-ray scanners, mine detectors, recoilless water guns, shotguns, cable cutters, and glass breakers.
Until recent years, South Korea’s military relied heavily on manual mine-clearing and limited imported robots. The landscape began to change in 2017, when the government and Hanwha launched a joint effort to develop a homegrown EOD platform, completed in 2023 and now ready for mass production.
