“Even the world’s top military power has no choice but to open its wallet”: U.S. Army to fire K9 self-propelled howitzers

Beating global defense giants Secures contract for six howitzer prototypes First export of a complete Korean defense weapon system to the U.S. If mass production deal follows, orders could reach 10 trillion won Results of the Kim Seung-yeon and Kim Dong-kwan family’s long-term resolve

사진 확대 A K9 wheeled self-propelled howitzer (K9MH) firing test is under way at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) test range. [Hanwha Aerospace]

A Korean-made self-propelled howitzer has entered the home turf of the world’s strongest military, the U.S. Army. Seventy-six years after South Korea received artillery support from U.S. forces during the Korean War, the country has now become an exporter of howitzers to the United States. Hanwha Aerospace broke into a market that had troubled the U.S. Army for nearly 30 years, after repeated failures in its own development efforts, and did so by outlasting global defense giants through nine years of determined sales efforts.

Hanwha Aerospace said on the 19th that its U.S. subsidiary, Hanwha Defense USA, Inc., signed a contract with the U.S. Army to supply six K9 wheeled self-propelled howitzer prototypes (K9MH). This is the first time a Korean defense company has supplied a complete weapon system, rather than parts or modules, to the U.S. mainland.

According to the U.S. Army, the contract runs for up to four years and includes an initial delivery of six prototypes, with an option to add 12 more. The contract is worth $100.3 million, or about 141.7 billion won. If all options are exercised and the Army acquires all 18 units, the cumulative value rises to $262.9 million, or about 371.5 billion won.

사진 확대

During that period, the U.S. Army will refine the detailed requirements to match its operational concept. In general, after such an adjustment period, the U.S. military signs a final mass-production contract if there are no major defects or disqualifying issues. The Army’s replacement program for its aging M777 towed howitzers covers roughly 500 units, and the mass-production contract alone is estimated at about 10 trillion won. Some observers say the actual project size could be even larger once ammunition and parts supply, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) packages, are included.

The K9MH is a model that mounts the 155mm firepower system of the K9 self-propelled howitzer, which has been proven in global markets, onto a wheeled platform. Instead of tank-style tracks, it uses wheels, giving it road mobility with a top speed of 100 km/h and an operational range of 700 km. With an automated turret and autoloader, it can fire eight to nine rounds per minute, while reducing the crew to just two or three people and easing manpower demands.

Analysts say this contract is the result of Hanwha strategically exploiting a gap left by the U.S. Army’s painful history of failed development programs. The Army tried to develop its own system three times, in 1994 with Crusader, in 2009 with NLOS-C, and in 2018 with ERCA, but all of them collapsed. Crusader was shelved because it was deemed strategically unnecessary, while NLOS-C was dropped amid a reorganization of future combat systems. ERCA, which aimed to extend range to 70 km, was halted in 2024 because of barrel wear problems.

사진 확대 Chairman Kim Seung-yeon

After first unveiling a real K9 at the AUSA defense exhibition in Washington in 2017, Hanwha displayed the equipment every year to raise its profile in the U.S. market. In 2022, it proved compatibility with U.S.-made shells at the Yuma Proving Ground, and in 2024 it also demonstrated the firing performance of the M982 Excalibur precision-guided round. After building trust, Hanwha received a request for information (RFI) from the U.S. Army in August 2024 and secured the contract two years later.

The significance of the deal becomes even greater when looking at the competitors it beat. Hanwha pushed out Rheinmetall AG, Germany’s rising defense giant, and BAE Systems, the former supplier of the U.S. Army’s existing self-propelled howitzer program, the M109 Paladin. It also defeated Italy’s defense heavyweight Leonardo and Anduril Industries, the Silicon Valley defense unicorn valued at $61 billion, in a consortium with Elbit America. In the field of traditional firepower systems, South Korea’s proven manufacturing and technological competitiveness has outperformed both Europe’s established powers and America’s emerging tech players.

Hanwha is also accelerating localization in the United States. In late April, Hanwha Defense USA, Inc. agreed to lease a vacant factory in Opelika, Alabama, for three years and use it as an integration and testing facility for the K9 family. The goal is to gradually expand production capacity and establish a local manufacturing base.

사진 확대 Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan

Behind this achievement was the decisive role of two generations of the Hanwha Group owner’s family in nurturing the defense business. Chairman Kim Seung-yeon has long stressed his belief that defense should be developed as a core national industry. Even during the early 2000s, when Hanwha was independently developing the K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system, he pushed ahead with investment despite concerns about sunk costs, saying, “It is fine if we fail. The technology for self-reliant defense will remain.”

Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan laid the foundation for today’s Hanwha Aerospace by acquiring Samsung Techwin in 2014 and later Doosan DST. As soon as he detected trends in the U.S. Army’s wheeled self-propelled howitzer development in March 2024, he set up a dedicated team and quickly responded by bringing in a large number of experts from global defense firms and government agencies.

A Hanwha Aerospace official said, “This contract is highly meaningful because a Korean weapon system will help defend the United States, marking a new chapter in the ROK-U.S. Alliance. We will continue building a stable production base in the United States through a differentiated localization strategy.”

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.