K9 Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer Enters U.S. Market, Marking 'New Chapter in ROK-U.S. Alliance'

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Aerospace has signed a contract with the United States for the first time with a domestic weapons system.

Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Defense USA announced on the 19th that they have signed a contract to supply six prototypes of the K9 wheeled self-propelled howitzer (K9 Mobile Howitzer, K9MH) to the U.S. Army. With this contract, Hanwha Aerospace has successfully entered the global market for wheeled self-propelled howitzers, following its earlier entry into the tracked vehicle segment.

Hanwha Aerospace's K9MH is a model equipped with an automated turret. The U.S. Army, aiming to introduce the next-generation self-propelled howitzer, has requested major global defense companies to produce prototypes of new self-propelled howitzers since early this year. Multiple global defense companies were evaluated from various angles, including delivery schedules, required performance, and localization costs.

The U.S. Army plans to proceed with a process to refine the detailed specifications of the K9MH over the next four years to align with its operational concepts. Typically, after undergoing such customization, the U.S. Army finalizes the Yangsan contract unless there are any significant defects or disqualifying factors.

Originally, the U.S. Army had been pursuing a development project for a tracked self-propelled gun equipped with a new 58-caliber long-barrel cannon (ERCA) since the early 2020s. However, due to deteriorating international conditions and other factors, demand for long-range deployment of forces increased, prompting a shift in the project's direction toward acquiring a highly mobile wheeled self-propelled gun.

A Hanwha Aero official who spoke with this newspaper on the phone said, "This contract is a significant achievement in that the K9 self-propelled howitzer has entered the world's largest defense market. In particular, it holds great significance as it has written a new chapter in the ROK-U.S. alliance."

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*This content was translated by AI.