Hanwha Aerospace's GRUNT multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle performs a mission during a demonstration event at an outdoor tactical training ground near Bucharest, Romania, on May 12 (local time). [Hanwha Aerospace]
Hanwha Aerospace's GRUNT multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle performs a mission during a demonstration event at an outdoor tactical training ground near Bucharest, Romania, on May 12 (local time). [Hanwha Aerospace]

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has selected Hanwha Aerospace's proposed model for the domestic multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle procurement project.

DAPA said the 142nd Defense Acquisition Planning and Management Subcommittee convened Thursday afternoon and approved the model selection for the project.

Subsequent procedures for the multipurpose unmanned vehicle project will now proceed based on the Hanwha Aerospace model.

On the selection process, DAPA said bidding procedures were "conducted fairly and lawfully in accordance with relevant laws and regulations," adding that the final decision came after a comprehensive review of company proposals, test evaluation results, and the outcomes of negotiations and performance verification, followed by deliberation by the subcommittee.

The project will move through follow-on contracting procedures with a target of signing a contract within the third quarter of this year. Fielding is planned for 2027 through 2028.

DAPA said it would "continue to strictly comply with relevant laws and procedures to carry out the project in a fair and transparent manner."


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