Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) has announced the appointment of Donghyeon (DH) Kim as its new Chief Executive Officer, with the company highlighting a continued focus on manufacturing capability, local production development, and program delivery in Australia’s defence sector.
In a statement from Hanwha Defence Australia, Mr. Kim succeeds outgoing CEO Ben Hudson and brings nearly 30 years of experience across research, production, and business leadership within Hanwha Aerospace, where he most recently led the Land Systems Business Group.
“Mr. Kim most recently served as head of Hanwha Aerospace’s Land Systems Business Group, which is responsible for Hanwha Aerospace’s full land defence portfolio,” the company said, noting his previous roles leading R&D and production operations across the organisation.
Mr. Kim will oversee delivery of the Huntsman and Redback armoured vehicle programs for the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as operations at the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) in Geelong, which is expected to play a central role in local manufacturing, supply chain development, and maintenance capability.
According to Hanwha Defence Australia, his background in production and research aligns with the company’s operational requirements as it expands its Australian footprint and strengthens domestic industrial capability.
“His experience in research, production, and business growth maps directly onto HDA’s needs,” the company said.
Mr. Kim has previously been involved in international programs including the K9 platform delivered to multiple countries such as Poland, Romania, Norway, Finland, and India, and will now focus on integrating global supply chain systems with Australian operations.
He said the priority would be delivering existing programs while supporting the development of local manufacturing and sustainment capacity.
“We are here to deliver these programs on schedule, build R&D capability and capacity in Australia, and make H-ACE a manufacturing and MRO&U (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade) centre that the local industry and economy benefit from,” Mr. Kim said.
“Australia is well placed to become a defence export base, not simply a customer. My role is to lay the foundation and grow the Australian leadership team that will take this company forward. That is what success looks like for HDA.”
Hanwha Defence Australia said Mr. Kim will also focus on strengthening coordination between its Australian operations and headquarters, enabling faster delivery across engineering, production, and supply chain functions as programs scale locally.
