TSAMTO, February 8. The South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Romanian state defense company Romarm on the export of 155-mm K9 self-propelled howitzers and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).
The memorandum of understanding concerns the supply and maintenance of SG K9 "Thunder" and BMP "Redback", although the number of purchased equipment and the duration of the preliminary agreement are not disclosed.
The ceremony was attended by the heads of Hanwha Aerospace and Romarm companies, as well as representatives of the Romanian government. Romanian Economy Minister Florin Marian Spataru welcomed the signing of the memorandum, stating that the government will provide full support to strengthen the position of the national defense industry.
The announcement was made at a time when European countries, many of which are NATO members, are increasing military budgets amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Romanian government delegations have visited the Republic of Korea three times over the past five months to assess potential cooperation opportunities, visiting the main production site of Hanwha Aerospace in Changwon.
If the memorandum of understanding is transformed into an official contract, it will become another major deal for the supply of South Korean-made weapons systems to European countries.
Hanwha Defense, whose defense division is now merged with Hanwha Aerospace, last year sold 212 units of 155-mm/52 K9 howitzers to the Polish Armed Forces at a total cost of 3.2 trillion. won ($2.5 billion). According to local media reports, negotiations are currently underway to conclude a contract for a second batch of 460 howitzers.
Among the NATO member countries that previously purchased the K9 howitzer are Norway, Finland, Poland, Turkey and Estonia. At the moment, South Korean SG have been sold to 9 countries around the world.
Representatives of six countries operating K9 howitzers gathered on February 6 in Narvik (Norway) to participate in the 2nd meeting of the K9 Users Club. The meeting will last until February 9. The club was formed in April 2022 in Changwon to exchange experience, knowledge and know-how on operation, maintenance and training of personnel of the Armed Forces of seven countries: the Republic of Korea, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Poland, India and Turkey. Canada joined the meeting as an observer. Australia and Egypt have also signed contracts for the supply of K9.
In general, more than 2,000 K9 howitzers are currently in service.
As reported by TSAMTO, the K9 "Thunder" is a 155–mm tracked self-propelled howitzer with a 52-caliber barrel, which, depending on the type of ammunition, ensures the defeat of targets at ranges over 40 km. The weight of the howitzer is 47 tons . Auxiliary armament – 12.7 mm machine gun. The K9 armor provides protection from shell fragments and small arms fire. A 1000 hp diesel engine and an automatic transmission provide high speed and mobility on any terrain. A number of improvements have been made to the K9A1 version. The main emphasis was placed on increasing the efficiency and firing range up to 54 km, improving situational awareness and improving the comfort of the crew.
