Hanwha Teams Up with Mecaer to Co-develop Landing Gear System

On June 16 (local time) at the Paris Air Show, Hanwha Corporation, the defense unit of Hanwha Group, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mecaer Aviation Group of Italy, a leading international provider of aircraft solutions including landing gear systems, to cooperate in the development of aircraft landing gear systems.

With the MOU, Hanwha will be able to take part in development projects related to critical landing gear components for aircraft and helicopters, which are supplied by Mecaer. Also, the company has gained an opportunity to supply landing gear parts to the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.

Hanwha has accumulated a lot of design technology through the “very light jet aircraft landing gear system development project” jointly sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy with Mecaer for three years between 2011 and 2014. Using this accumulated technology, Hanwha plans to move into the landing gear market for civilian-use helicopters and Korea Aerospace Industries' next-generation KF-X fighter jet. It also plans to move into the VLJ landing gear market, which accounts for more than 10 percent of the global aviation market.

As the landing gear supports the aircraft when it is not flying, allowing it to take off, land, and taxi without damage, it is one of critical, high-value-added components that usually accounts for nearly five percent of the total aircraft price. However, Korean companies currently lack the design capabilities and certification facilities in this area and rely mostly on imports.

Kim Yeon-cheol, president of Hanwha, said, “With the MOU, we have secured a chance to supply landing gear systems to global aviation companies. Also, we will be able to participate in existing projects for about 1,000 systems for which Mecaer already won.”

Through the co-development of landing gear systems as the domestic company specializing in hydraulic actuation systems, Hanwha Corporation plans not only to expand its list of exports, but also to continuously seek business opportunities with major global aircraft manufacturers in cooperation with Mecaer.