Honeywell and ST Engineering’s Defence Aerospace business have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at advancing support for military aviation operators throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The agreement signals a joint push to address growing demand for fleet modernization and sustainment solutions in one of the world’s most dynamic defense markets.
The collaboration will explore a range of potential initiatives centered on retrofitting, modifying, upgrading, and sustaining military aircraft. By integrating Honeywell’s portfolio of advanced aerospace technologies with ST Engineering’s established engineering and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) expertise, the partnership seeks to deliver comprehensive, locally integrated support.
A key area of focus under the MOU is the potential establishment of a center of excellence dedicated to retrofit, modification, and upgrade activities. The companies will also assess opportunities to develop maintenance capabilities specifically for Honeywell’s avionics systems, which are widely deployed across military platforms in the region.
The initiative comes as Asia Pacific defense forces increasingly prioritize lifecycle extension and capability enhancement over new platform acquisitions. Aging fleets, evolving threat environments, and the need for interoperability with allied forces are driving operators to seek cost-effective modernization pathways. The proposed solutions aim to bridge capability gaps while improving mission readiness and operational resilience.
Sathesh Ramiah, vice president of Defense and Space for Honeywell Aerospace in Asia Pacific, emphasized the strategic value of the partnership. “As defense modernization needs across Asia Pacific continue to evolve, this MOU reflects Honeywell’s intent to expand support with trusted regional industry leaders. By aligning our technologies with ST Engineering’s strong local capabilities, we are exploring ways to support long-term mission readiness and sustainment.”
Daniel Ho, senior vice president and head of strategic planning for ST Engineering’s Defence Aerospace business, highlighted the collaborative framework. “Working with Honeywell underscores our focus on strengthening regional defense aviation through advanced engineering and sustainment solutions. This MOU provides a structure to explore how our combined expertise can meet evolving operational demands across Asia Pacific.”
The partnership underscores a broader trend of global aerospace firms deepening regional alliances to deliver agile, localized support. Both companies bring complementary strengths to the table—Honeywell with its systems integration and avionics leadership, and ST Engineering with its deep regional footprint and MRO proficiency.
While still in the exploratory phase, the MOU lays groundwork for what could become a long-term strategic alignment. If realized, the planned center of excellence and avionics maintenance capabilities would enhance in-region self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external supply chains.
For Honeywell, the collaboration reinforces its commitment to Asia Pacific’s defense sector. For ST Engineering, it represents another step in expanding its portfolio of partnerships with leading original equipment manufacturers. Together, the two companies aim to deliver tangible value to defense aviation operators navigating an increasingly complex security landscape.
