Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Samsung Electronics have entered a strategic partnership to develop AI semiconductors for defense applications. The two companies announced on November 14 that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at KAI headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, to collaborate on the development and production of AI and radio-frequency (RF) defense semiconductors for aerospace and defense systems.
The signing ceremony was attended by KAI CEO Jae-Byung Cha and Samsung Electronics Foundry Business President Jin-Man Han, along with senior executives from both organizations. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly pursue research and development tailored to the specific requirements of the defense sector and establish a shared technology roadmap to integrate commercial semiconductor technologies into defense-grade chipsets.
Through joint R&D, a dedicated working group, and collaboration on supply-chain stability, KAI and Samsung plan to increase the domestic production rate of semiconductors used in weapons systems, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and strengthening Korea’s self-reliant defense capabilities. Their efforts will include defense-specific design, rigorous quality control, and airworthiness certification, all of which are critical for military-grade chip development.
KAI CEO Cha stated that combining KAI’s portfolio of domestically developed aircraft platforms with Samsung’s global semiconductor expertise will play a pivotal role in advancing on-device AI semiconductors for defense applications. He added that the partnership aims to enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s defense industry and strengthen the nation’s sovereign AI capabilities.
Samsung Electronics President Han noted that the collaboration would support both the localization of defense AI semiconductors and the broader growth of Korea’s semiconductor ecosystem. He emphasized that Samsung will leverage its full-stack capabilities—from chip design to fabrication and mass production—to bolster the country’s AI competitiveness.
KAI plans to apply the newly developed AI semiconductors to its AI pilot systems, advancing manned-unmanned teaming and increasing export competitiveness. The on-device Autonomous Control System (ACS) is expected to be deployed in unmanned aerial platforms equipped with AI pilot technology and linked with proven manned aircraft such as the T-50, FA-50, and Surion, enabling distinctive operational capabilities.
In May, KAI also signed an MOU for “K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development” with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KEIT, and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association during the AI Semiconductor Collaboration Forum, further accelerating its role in expanding Korea’s AI semiconductor ecosystem.
