South Korea unveils next-gen K-NIFV fighting vehicle

South Korean Hanwha Aerospace used the ADEX 2025 exhibition to unveil the K-NIFV, a next-generation infantry fighting vehicle the company says was developed to cut costs, raise domestic content and respond to new threats exposed by the war in Ukraine.

Built from the firm’s Redback design, the K-NIFV is being pitched for both export and domestic service as an upgraded, more sustain-able alternative to the original Redback family.

The K-NIFV is described by Hanwha as an evolution of the AS21 Redback that Australia adopted. Company materials say Redback delivered world-class protection and firepower, but relied heavily on foreign subsystems. That reliance — and the supply delays and price pressure that followed — prompted Hanwha to pursue a version with higher national production and lower life-cycle costs.

To reduce import dependence, Hanwha says it has moved to domesticate key elements of the vehicle. Hanwha Systems is responsible for turret sights and the active protection system, the Hanwha Aero LS division is driving the remote weapon station and fire-control development, the PGM command within Hanwha Aero is developing a new anti-tank missile derived from the Cheongeom family, and SNT Dynamics is handling the main gun and transmission. Company statements argue this approach eliminates many export-control constraints, trims acquisition costs and lowers operating expenses.

Hanwha also reworked the vehicle layout. By adopting an unmanned turret, the K-NIFV retains the base hull while increasing internal volume to carry eight troops plus additional cargo. The company is positioning the design as easier to sustain and more affordable to operate than versions that depend on imported turrets, optics and subsystems.

A central theme of Hanwha’s pitch is layered defense against drones. According to the company, the K-NIFV will use either a 30-mm cannon or a 40-mm cased telescoped armament to engage loitering munitions and kamikaze drones out to roughly three to four kilometres. The vehicle will carry a C-UAS detection radar tied into AI-augmented gunner and commander sights that automatically track hostile small aircraft. When an unmanned system approaches to about 1 km, a newly developed “intelligent RCWS” driven by radar and AI will engage even very small commercial drones. If a threat closes within roughly 300 metres, the vehicle’s active protection system is designed to defeat it with interceptor rounds. Taken together, Hanwha markets the K-NIFV as one of the few IFVs with a multi-layered anti-drone architecture.

Work on the K-NIFV began in October 2024 under a weapon-system modification program with a budget of 345억 원 (KRW 34.5 billion). Hanwha says the design has passed critical design review and is scheduled for completion in March 2028. The company is already offering the K-NIFV as a candidate to replace K200A1 reconnaissance armoured vehicles in Korean service and plans demonstrations and export talks with Romania, Italy, Norway, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Beyond the initial model, Hanwha outlines a Block-2 follow-on intended to replace the K21. Hanwha describes the Block-2 package as including a serial hybrid powertrain, active suspension, a composite active protection suite and full-spectrum situational-awareness systems.

As noted by the company, the K-NIFV is aimed at both the export market and South Korea’s own forces, and Hanwha is moving to show performance in overseas trials while seeking local buyers. The vehicle’s performance in live trials and its ability to meet competing buyers’ logistics and cost expectations will determine whether the K-NIFV becomes the firm’s next major armoured export.