(Defense Acquisition Program Administration)
(Defense Acquisition Program Administration)

The state arms procurement agency has designated five key projects aimed at developing semiconductor technologies for defense manufacturing, officials said Monday, as South Korea seeks to bolster its independent capabilities to build chips for military systems.

The projects include the development of semiconductors for small satellites as well as module platforms for Synthetic Aperture Radar on drones and Active Electronically Scanned Array radars, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

DAPA said the projects were selected based on their feasibility and technological trends, adding it plans to launch four of the five projects this year.

The move comes as South Korea has been seeking to develop advanced weapons while reducing its reliance on foreign semiconductors essential in military systems.

In September last year, DAPA launched a unit dedicated to developing, managing and certifying semiconductors used in defense systems to meet growing demand for such chips. (Yonhap)