As reported by the defence procurement Agency Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of the Ministry of national defense of South Korea, February 1, 2022 with his participation, the South Korean company Hanwha Defensе (defence division of Hanwha group) signed in Cairo a contract with the Ministry of defence of Egypt for the supply and joint production in Egypt, South Korean 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder. The contract value is more than 2 trillion won ($1.65 billion).
South Korean 155mm/52 self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder at the exposition of the defense industry exhibition Egypt Defense Expo (EDEF) 2021 in Cairo (Egypt), 11/29/2021 (c) www.koreatimes.co.kr
The number of K9 self-propelled howitzers purchased by Egypt has not been officially disclosed, but according to South Korean media publications, it is about 200 units, in addition, the contract also includes "several dozen" armored vehicles for transporting K10 ammunition at the same base.
The agreement provides for the assembly of most of the supplied K9 self-propelled guns in Egypt at the state tank factory No. 200 in Helwan near Cairo (where the assembly of American M1A1 Abrams tank kits was previously carried out), with the transfer of technology, but the details are also still unknown. The first batch of self-propelled guns will be delivered ready from the production of Hanwha Defense.
Egypt showed interest in acquiring the K9 ACS back in the 2000s, but concrete negotiations were resumed after successful demonstration tests of the K9 in Egypt in 2017.
Egypt became the seventh foreign customer of the K9 ACS after Turkey, India, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Australia.
