(A Skydio drone flies during Dynamic Front 25 in Smârdan, Romania, Nov. 18, 2024. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Austin Steinborn)
A new era may be dawning in the region’s defence industry: South Korean giant Hanwha Aerospace is establishing significant manufacturing capacity in Romania with an investment of more than €1.3 billion, according to the Romanian economic portal Economedia.ro.
The project stands out not only for its scale but also for its impact: the company estimates that the investment will create more than 9,400 direct and indirect jobs over the next decade, while generating a total economic value of up to €14.4 billion.
The development is centred in Dâmbovița county, where construction of the plant has already begun. Among other things, modern artillery systems – such as K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles – will be manufactured there for the Romanian army.
This will be Hanwha Aerospace’s first European manufacturing base.
The South Korean company, however, harbours far greater ambitions: its plans include the production of Redback armoured infantry fighting vehicles, the launch of its own drone programme, and the development of unmanned maritime systems and satellite-based airspace surveillance technologies.
The investment is particularly significant because it will be Hanwha Aerospace’s first European manufacturing base, which will serve not only the Romanian market but can also function as an export hub.
According to analysts, this gives Romania a serious chance of becoming one of the continent’s new defence industry centres – which could also increase the economic and geopolitical weight of the entire region.
The timing of the development is no coincidence either: the transformation of the European security environment and the growing demand for defence products favour investments of this magnitude. The current project will therefore not only create jobs but could also reshape the industrial map of the region in the long term.
