Hanwha Defense Begins Shipment of 24 Polish K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers..."Aiming to Increase Current 60% Market Share"

"Accelerating Entry into Advanced Markets such as the UK and the US"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Hanwha Defense has begun delivering K9 self-propelled howitzers to Poland. It currently holds more than 60% of the global self-propelled howitzer export market share, and this is expected to increase further.

On the 19th, Hanwha Defense announced that it held a shipment ceremony for the initial batch of 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers for export to Poland at its first plant in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do. The event was attended by about 150 key figures from related organizations, including Maciej Jablonski, Commander of the Polish Army; Piotr Ostaszewski, Ambassador of Poland to Korea; Eom Donghwan, Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province; Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon; Won Jongdae, Director of Defense Power Policy at the Ministry of National Defense; and Eom Yongjin, Commander of the Army Logistics Command.

The 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers were shipped just two months after the first execution contract was signed in August in response to Poland's urgent request. Supporting Ukraine caused a power gap, and Poland was able to quickly supplement its equipment through 'K-Defense.' On August 26, Hanwha Defense signed a large-scale contract worth 3.2 trillion KRW to supply 212 K9 self-propelled howitzers. Starting with the shipment ceremony, the K9 howitzers will be delivered sequentially to Poland until 2026. Negotiations for the second execution contract are also underway based on the basic contract signed with Poland in July, so the current global market share of over 60% for the K9 self-propelled howitzer is expected to increase further. According to Hanwha Defense, the K9 self-propelled howitzer is a firepower system proven to have the best performance and reliability worldwide. Since 2001, it has been exported to eight countries including T?rkiye, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia, and Egypt.

At the shipment ceremony, all 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers to be delivered to Poland were displayed. On the 6th, the multipurpose unmanned vehicle 'Arion Smet,' selected as a Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) equipment by the U.S. Department of Defense, led the parade with unmanned driving. The parade featured the K9 self-propelled howitzer, K10 ammunition resupply armored vehicle, Cheonmu launcher and ammunition resupply vehicle, K77 fire control armored vehicle, K21 armored vehicle, KAAV armored vehicle, 30mm wheeled anti-aircraft gun, and Biho complex. Hanwha Aerospace’s Nuri rocket engine and KF-21 engine, Hanwha Corporation’s guided missiles, and Hanwha Systems’ multifunction radar were also exhibited, showcasing Hanwha’s defense capabilities spanning land, sea, air, and space sectors.

Son Jaeil, CEO of Hanwha Defense, said, "I sincerely thank all government officials from the Ministry of National Defense, Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Agency for Defense Development who actively supported the rapid shipment of the K9 self-propelled howitzers, as well as the Polish government and people who trusted us and signed the contract." He added, "Hanwha will continue to strive to be the best partner contributing to Poland’s defense power enhancement and defense industry development. As a leading Korean defense company, we will take the lead in globalizing 'K-Defense' and do our best to develop the world’s top weapon systems that meet customer expectations."

Meanwhile, Hanwha Defense is continuously upgrading the performance of the K9 self-propelled howitzer to accelerate entry into advanced markets such as the UK and the US. In the UK Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) project, it is competing with the advanced K9A2 self-propelled howitzer, which features fully automated ammunition loading. Hanwha plans to propose this K9A2 for the US Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) project as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.