Agency for Defense Development
The Agency for Defense Development (ADD, Korean: 국방과학연구소; Hanja: 國防科學硏究所; RR: Gukbang Gwahak Yeonguso) is the South Korean national agency for research and development in defense technology, funded by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). It was established in August 1970 under the banner of the self-reliant national defense promoted by President Park Chung Hee.
| 국방과학연구소 Gukbang Gwahak Yeonguso | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 6 August 1970 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of South Korea |
| Headquarters | 160, Bugyuseong-daero 488beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea 36.4184077°N 127.3225271°E |
| Motto | "Defending our nation with the strength of our own science and technology!" |
| Employees | 3,432 (2023) |
| Annual budget | ₩1.485 trillion US$1.188 billion (2022) |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent department | Defense Acquisition Program Administration |
| Website | Official ADD website in English Official ADD website in Korean |
| Agency for Defense Development | |
| Hangul | 국방과학연구소 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 國防科學硏究所 |
| Revised Romanization | Gukbang Gwahak Yeonguso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kukpang Kwahak Yŏn'guso |
Its purpose is contributing to enforcing the national defence, to improving the national R&D capacity, and to fostering the domestic defense industry. ADD focuses on core weapons systems and core technology development, and studies major weapons platforms in high-risk and non-economical fields, unmanned and advanced, and new weapon systems for the future.
ADD is responsible for first South Korean ballistic missile Nike Hercules Korea-1 aka White/Polar Bear, developed in the 1970s with its first successful test in 1978.
ADD is the operator of South Korea's first dedicated military satellite, ANASIS-II, launched on 20 July 2020 by a Falcon 9 rocket.