South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration has launched five priority projects to develop semiconductors for military systems. The agency announced the move on Monday as part of its efforts to reduce foreign reliance and secure domestic chip production.
According to a state-funded media report, the selected projects include chip development for small satellites, synthetic aperture radar modules on drones and components for active electronically scanned array radars.
DAPA said the projects were chosen based on feasibility and alignment with evolving technology trends, and four of them are scheduled to begin this year.
Defense Tech Development
The announcement builds on broader efforts to strengthen Seoul’s defense tech base. Last year, DAPA created a dedicated unit to develop, manage and certify semiconductors used in defense. At the time, DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun stressed that local chip production is vital for national security and economic stability.
DAPA has also introduced a new bottom-up acquisition model to let defense firms propose systems directly to the military. The new framework is expected to shorten long development cycles and speed up the adoption of fast-evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence and unmanned systems.