South Korea Launches $34M Wheeled Armored Vehicle Upgrade Program

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has begun the development phase of its Wheeled Armored Vehicle Performance Improvement program, a 47.6 billion won ($34 million) project aimed at modernizing existing vehicles with enhanced firepower, communications, and situational awareness capabilities.

The kickoff meeting, held on August 13 at Hyundai Rotem’s facilities, was attended by representatives from DAPA, the Army, the Marine Corps, and the Agency for Technology and Quality. Officials discussed the project’s design direction, equipment acquisition plans, and strategies for process management, quality control, and supply chain sustainability.

The upgrade will see the integration of a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS), tactical multi-band multi-function radios (TMMR), omnidirectional surveillance cameras, and infantry display screens. These enhancements are intended to increase mission effectiveness and troop survivability through 2029.

Once deployed, the RCWS will enable gunners to operate and fire weapons from within the sealed vehicle, delivering precision fire day or night. Real-time data from battlefield operations will be fed into the battalion-level Battle Command System (B2CS) and shared via TMMR to upper, lower, and adjacent units, improving coordination across formations. Troops inside will gain 360-degree visual coverage of the battlefield through onboard camera feeds and shared displays.