Naver (035420.KS) has partnered with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to jointly develop a foundation model optimized for the defense sector. The plan is to build a comprehensive cooperation framework spanning from technology development to commercialization.
Naver said Wednesday that Team Naver and KAI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at KAI's headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday, to jointly pursue the development of a defense-specialized artificial intelligence (AI) model and a physical AI-based future combat system platform. The signing was attended by Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Naver Cloud CEO Kim You-won, and KAI CEO and President Kang Goo-young.
The three companies — Naver, Naver Cloud, and KAI — will first pursue the joint development of a "defense-specialized AI foundation model" optimized for the defense sector. Based on this, they plan to jointly participate in government-led national research and development projects and block funding programs, aiming to secure next-generation defense physical AI core technologies and to lay the foundation for civilian-government-military cooperation that can be linked to practical follow-up commercialization.
In particular, the three companies expect the collaboration to play a key role in accelerating the development of physical AI, such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms and AI pilots, in the future battlefield environment where manned and unmanned fighter jets and satellites are hyper-connected, as in KAI's next-generation air combat system (NACS) currently under development.
They also plan to embed AI in future aerospace platforms such as manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) to advance the level of autonomy, and to expand the AI cooperation framework with partners in the aerospace and defense sectors, joining forces to foster the domestic AI ecosystem and strengthen industrial competitiveness.
"Since technological self-reliance in the defense and security sectors is directly linked to national sovereignty, securing an independent sovereign AI infrastructure is more important than anything else," Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said. "We will do our best to solidify Korea's technological sovereignty in national defense and security by combining Team Naver's advanced AI capabilities with KAI's defense infrastructure, and to create new global competitiveness for the future defense industry."
KAI CEO and President Kang Goo-young stressed, "As global defense AI competition is becoming fiercer than ever, a joint response combining the core capabilities of the three companies is needed." He added, "I am confident that by bringing together KAI's aerospace and defense expertise and Team Naver's AI and cloud technology, Korea will be able to establish sovereignty over defense AI technology and enhance its global competitiveness in the fields of physical AI-based UAVs and future combat systems."
