Hanwha Group has won a 24.3 billion-won ($21.8 million) deal from the Agency for Defense Development to develop a key device that helps laser beam weapons target drones flying several kilometers away, the company said Monday.

Over the next four years, Hanwha will develop a prototype of an amplification device that magnifies the output and travel distance of laser beams.

“Laser weapons can shoot down fast-flying objects at the speed of light. Based on 20 years of research into laser technologies, Hanwha also won Korea’s first-ever laser anti-air defense system project from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in 2019,” a Hanwha official said.

While Hanwha is developing the hardware for combating drone threats, the government-funded Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is developing an anti-drone software system.

According to the KAERI Monday, it will form a consortium with 22 partners to co-develop an integrated anti-drone system.

The 42 billion-won project will see the development of a total anti-drone system that can detect, identify, analyze, neutralize and investigate illegal drones by 2025.

The program includes five public institutions including KAERI and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and 18 private anti-drone companies including LIG Nex1.

“Despite calls for establishing anti-drone technologies at key facilities, Korea currently lacks enough technology. Deploying imported equipment is both expensive and has security issues, so KAERI formed the consortium to develop independent technologies,” a KAERI official said.

The program will first apply the anti-drone system at nuclear facilities and airports.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)