Hanwha Defense Unveils Missile-Equipped Unmanned Reconnaissance Vehicle at MSPO, Poland

South Korean Hanwha Defense has unveiled an autonomous reconnaissance vehicle equipped with the Cheongeom (“Heavenly Sword”) anti-tank guided missile at the MSPO arms fair (Sept. 5-8) in Poland.

“At the center (of the exhibition), a weapon system equipped with the guided missile, Cheongeom, will be unveiled for the first time on an unmanned search vehicle, a future defense robot under development by (South Korean) the Agency for Defense Development,” Hanwha said in a press release.

Considering the terrain of Europe with long borders, the Cheongeom missile-equipped unmanned ground vehicle can perform various missions such as search, reconnaissance, and security in areas where manpower deployment is difficult. When reconnaissance assets deliver location information of enemy tanks, the operator can control the unmanned reconnaissance vehicle to strike the enemy within range of the Cheongeom missile, resulting in a significant increase in operational distance, the release said.

The Cheongeom resembles the BGM-71 TOW missile and was initially intended for use on the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). It offers three modes: fire and forget, fire and update after launch, and non-line-of-sight targeting via wire updates.

Equipped with an algorithm trained on 800,000 target images, it accelerates engagement times in emergencies. This 35kg (77lb), 1.7m (5ft 6in) missile may see future upgrades, including wireless data links and AI integration.