Hanwha Systems enters U.S. with F-15 cockpit display contract

(Hanwha Systems)

South Korean defense company Hanwha Systems Co. announced on Thursday that it has signed a contract to supply large-screen area cockpit displays for the U.S. Air Force’s latest F-15EX fighter jets and the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX aircraft, both manufactured by The Boeing Company.

According to Hanwha Systems, this marks the company’s first entry into the U.S. market.

Hanwha Systems’ large-area multifunction display, e-LAD, integrates information that was previously spread across multiple instruments into a single large screen, enabling rapid delivery of critical cockpit information and enhancing pilots’ situational awareness and mission efficiency.

Pilots can intuitively check the information they need on one screen and transmit commands to the mission computer through a touch-based interface.

Hanwha Systems noted that the supply contract was made possible by government-led industrial cooperation and sales diplomacy, along with the company’s accumulated avionics technology.

The exported display system is based on technology developed for the multifunction display used in Korea’s indigenous KF-21 fighter jet. Hanwha Systems said it customized the system to meet the operational requirements of the F-15EX, taking into account the aircraft’s airframe characteristics and cockpit layout.

The F-15EX is the newest variant in Boeing’s F-15 series, featuring an open-architecture design, increased weapons payload capacity, and extended range.

F-15 fighters are operated by several countries, including the United States, Korea, Japan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, many of which are pursuing cockpit modernization programs.