Croatia moves toward $506 million purchase of South Korea’s Chunmoo

Sept. 4 (Asia Today) — Hanwha Aerospace is moving toward a roughly $506 million deal to supply South Korea’s Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system to Croatia, expanding the weapon’s European customer base into the Balkans.

Hanwha Aerospace is expected to sign an agreement with Croatia on Tuesday to provide 18 Chunmoo launchers and guided munitions, according to South Korean and overseas reports.

The proposed contract is valued at 435.2 million euros, or about 686 billion won ($506 million). Deliveries are expected to take place between 2028 and 2029.

“Discussions regarding the signing of the contract are still underway locally,” a Hanwha Aerospace official said.

Croatia is also moving through the government approval process for the acquisition.

The Croatian government included the purchase of Chunmoo launchers and related equipment and systems on the agenda for its 198th government session. It also considered advance approval for financial obligations related to the acquisition between 2027 and 2029.

If completed, Croatia would become the fourth European country to sign a contract for the Chunmoo system after Poland, Estonia and Norway.

That would extend the system’s customer base from Northern and Eastern Europe into the Balkans.

Hanwha announced an additional contract in May to supply three Chunmoo launchers to Estonia, indicating that the company is pursuing both follow-on purchases from existing customers and sales to new markets.

The Croatian project could also establish a new model of cooperation between South Korean and European defense companies.

Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list reported that Croatia plans to purchase the TOPAZ command-and-control system made by Poland’s WB Group as part of the Chunmoo acquisition.

Under such an arrangement, South Korea would provide the launchers and ammunition while the Polish company would supply the command-and-control system.

Hanwha and WB Group have previously worked together on Poland’s Chunmoo program.

In February 2023, WB Group signed an agreement with Hanwha to integrate its TOPAZ battlefield management system, FONET vehicle communications platform and radios into Chunmoo launchers for the Polish military.

Applying the same arrangement in Croatia would represent an expansion of the South Korean-Polish defense partnership into a third-country market.

Croatia is reportedly seeking the system to modernize its aging artillery forces.

Local reports said Chunmoo would replace existing 122mm multiple launch rocket systems.

Chunmoo can fire several types of ammunition from a single launcher. According to Hanwha, the system can fire 239mm guided rockets with a range of up to 80 kilometers, or about 50 miles, as well as CTM-290 tactical ballistic missiles with a range of about 290 kilometers, or 180 miles.

“The Croatian acquisition of Chunmoo could demonstrate how far a cooperation model combining South Korean weapons systems with European defense technology can expand while also securing another export customer,” an industry official said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260904010001781