Joint development of defense-specific AI foundation model

Expansion into physical AI-based future combat systems

Team Naver and Korea Aerospace Industries signed a strategic MOU to cooperate in the aerospace and defense AI sector. From left: Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Korea Aerospace Industries President and CEO Kim Jong-chul, and Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won pose for a commemorative photo. [Naver Cloud]
Team Naver and Korea Aerospace Industries signed a strategic MOU to cooperate in the aerospace and defense AI sector. From left: Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Korea Aerospace Industries President and CEO Kim Jong-chul, and Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won pose for a commemorative photo. [Naver Cloud]

Team Naver is joining forces with Korea Aerospace Industries to develop AI models tailored to the defense sector and physical AI-based future combat systems. The partnership aims to combine South Korea's domestic AI capabilities with aerospace and defense expertise to reduce reliance on foreign technology and accelerate defense AI self-reliance.

Naver, Naver Cloud and Korea Aerospace Industries announced Monday that they signed an MOU at Korea Aerospace Industries' headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, to jointly develop a defense-specific AI foundation model and a future combat systems platform.

Under the agreement, the three companies will combine Team Naver's AI and cloud technology with Korea Aerospace Industries' aerospace and defense systems integration capabilities to develop AI-based solutions suited to South Korea's defense environment. The collaboration will extend beyond research and development to include participation in government projects and subsequent commercialization.

The immediate priority is jointly developing a "defense-specific AI foundation model" that reflects the data characteristics and operational requirements of the defense industry. The companies also plan to participate in government-backed national research and development projects and block-funding programs, with the goal of securing next-generation defense physical AI technology.

Looking further ahead, the partners plan to apply AI technology to future battlefield environments in which manned and unmanned combat aircraft and satellites operate in concert. They will also collaborate on physical AI technologies — including unmanned aerial vehicle platforms and AI pilots — as part of Korea Aerospace Industries' next-generation air combat system, known as NACS.

The companies will also work to raise the level of autonomous operation by applying AI to next-generation aerospace platforms such as manned-unmanned teaming systems. They plan to extend AI collaboration to partners across the defense and aviation sectors to strengthen the domestic industry ecosystem and technological competitiveness.

"Technological self-reliance in defense and security is directly tied to national sovereignty, which makes securing an independent sovereign AI infrastructure more important than anything else," Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said. "We will do our utmost to combine Team Naver's advanced AI capabilities with Korea Aerospace Industries' defense infrastructure to solidify South Korea's technological sovereignty in national defense and create new global competitiveness for the future defense industry."

Korea Aerospace Industries President and CEO Kim Jong-chul said global competition in defense AI is fiercer than ever, making a joint response that draws on the core strengths of all three companies essential. "I am confident that by bringing together Korea Aerospace Industries' aerospace and defense expertise with Team Naver's AI and cloud technology, South Korea will be able to establish technological sovereignty in defense AI and enhance its global competitiveness in physical AI-based unmanned systems and future combat systems," he said.

Meanwhile, Team Naver has been stepping up its push into the defense AI market. Last month, Naver Cloud established a dedicated defense AI unit, and the company recently unveiled its "full-stack defense AI" strategy — including a defense-specific model based on its HyperCLOVA X large-scale AI and a dedicated defense AI agent — at InLEX 2026, a defense industry exhibition held at the Daejeon Convention Center. Building on these efforts, Team Naver plans to deploy AI agents across all areas of defense by 2030.


rim@heraldcorp.com