The Defense Acquisition Program Administration. [The Herald Business DB]
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration. [The Herald Business DB]

South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration has established guidelines governing how domestic companies, research institutions and government agencies can request and receive NATO standards — the first time such procedures and security management rules have been formally codified.

DAPA said Monday the new guidelines lay the groundwork for expanding defense exports beyond the finished-product focus that has characterized sales to Europe — including the K2 tank, K9 self-propelled howitzer and Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher — to cover components and diversified weapon systems, as well as partner nations such as those in South America.

NATO standards are the benchmarks domestic companies need to ensure interoperability with NATO member states' weapon systems and to carry out certification and testing. They are considered a critical factor for exports to NATO members and for participation in international joint research and development programs.

A DAPA official said protection performance thresholds for ground weapon systems and the testing procedures and criteria used to verify those capabilities are representative examples. "These are broad common standards that cover not only hardware but also software such as communications protocols, as well as operational and logistics administrative procedures and security guidelines for classified materials," the official said.

Domestic companies' requests for NATO standards have been growing as defense export activity and research and development cooperation targeting NATO member states have expanded, driven in part by recent South Korea-NATO summit meetings. Until now, however, there was no official application or delivery process — companies had to rely on government-to-government channels or make informal requests directly to local firms or foreign government agencies, creating significant difficulties.

A DAPA official said that when the K9 and Chunmoo were first exported to Europe, there was no compatible NATO standards framework in place, which caused difficulties during performance negotiations.

"If exports of finished products such as the Shingung, K2, K9 and Chunmoo were once the core, securing NATO standards now creates the conditions for diversifying both weapon systems and export destinations," the official said, adding that the potential for expanding the export base to partner nations in South America and beyond — not just NATO members — is considerable.

DAPA based the guidelines on NATO security policy, the South Korea-NATO security administrative arrangement and domestic security regulations. The foundation for the guidelines was laid in February, when South Korea and NATO concluded a special security administrative arrangement establishing procedures for exchanging classified materials, including classified NATO standards. In May, a second South Korea-NATO defense industry consultative body meeting further discussed ways to share NATO standards.

The guidelines categorize NATO standards by their level of public availability and classification rating, and set out the application requirements and procedures for obtaining and delivering each type.

Standards that DAPA can download directly from NATO's online database will be provided to companies within as little as one week of application, while classified standards will be delivered after obtaining individual release approval from NATO.

In addition, the guidelines establish post-management rules for institutions that receive standards, covering return and destruction procedures, facility security requirements and reporting protocols in the event of a security incident.

DAPA said that when weapon systems developed and certified using NATO standards are exported to non-NATO member states, no separate intellectual property restrictions or end-user pre-screening requirements apply. However, common security rules — including a prohibition on use outside the stated purpose — must still be observed.

DAPA Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol said the guidelines provide the foundation for delivering NATO standards to domestic companies more quickly and systematically. "This will make a tangible contribution to expanding South Korean companies' entry into the NATO defense market — through defense exports to NATO member states and participation in international joint research and development programs," he said.

Meanwhile, DAPA said it held a briefing for domestic defense companies to gather input before finalizing the guidelines, and plans to continue holding such briefings to support companies as the guidelines take effect.


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