Advanced materials company Welcron is expanding its business scope beyond personal protective equipment to the vehicle protection market and launching efforts to expand its overseas defense business. Recently, it began cooperation with an Indonesian state-owned defense company and plans to expand its target range to include Eastern Europe and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) markets.
According to industry sources on the 30th, Welcron is scheduled to supply prototype bullet and mine protection kits for the wheeled armored vehicle 'ANOA3' in Indonesia next month. It will complete development by October, undergo a blast test locally in the first half of next year, and then proceed with Yangsan. To this end, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesian state-owned defense company PT PINDAD.
Welcron plans to gradually supply about 350 protection kits by 2035 in line with Indonesia's military modernization plan. The defense industry expects that if the project proceeds as planned, the cumulative business scale will reach approximately 100 billion won.
Recently on the battlefield, the importance of protection technology is growing not only for individual soldiers but also for enhancing the survivability of armored vehicles and special-purpose vehicles. In particular, as threats targeting vehicles such as mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and Daejeon-armed weapons have increased, efforts to expand materials and design technologies accumulated in personal ballistic plates to vehicle protection are becoming active.
Welcron established its defense business foundation by supplying personal protective ballistic plates to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in 2018. Since then, it has developed add-on armor for wheeled armored vehicles, ballistic plates for fast boats and fast landing craft, ballistic plates for small tactical vehicles, and engine grille protection louvers for armored vehicles and self-propelled howitzers, securing vehicle protection technology capabilities.
Welcron continues to knock on the doors of overseas markets with technologies accumulated domestically. In 2023, it cooperated with Hanwha Aerospace to develop mine protection kits for armored vehicles destined for export to Saudi Arabia and supplied the initial batch. This Indonesia project was also realized based on such vehicle protection technology and overseas supply experience.
In particular, Welcron applied simulation technology that analyzes blast pressure and ballistic behavior in advance, as well as composite materials based on ceramics and high-performance fibers. It secured performance that meets international protection standards (STANAG 4569) while reducing the weight of armor. Slim module designs that can be adapted to the interior space of armored vehicles are also cited as a competitive advantage.
Currently, it is promoting the supply of personal protective equipment and vehicle protection solutions centered on Asia, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In the future, it plans to make Eastern Europe and NATO countries with high defense demand key markets and expand the supply of protection solutions linked to armored vehicle exports by domestic defense companies.
Welcron has set a goal to increase the share of defense in total sales to about 40-50% by 2030. Currently, it accounts for about 25%. Next month, it plans to open a dedicated website exclusively introducing its defense business to strengthen technology promotion and marketing targeting domestic and overseas defense demand.
A Welcron defense division official said, "With the planning capabilities of our small but elite team of about 30 employees as our weapon, we aim to stand shoulder to shoulder with major global defense companies," adding, "We will lead the paradigm of the global armored vehicle protection market with Welcron's advanced materials technology."
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