TSAMTO, July 12th. Hanwha Aerospace announced the signing ceremony with the Romanian Ministry of Defense on July 9 in Bucharest for the supply of several artillery divisions.
The divisions will include 155 mm K9 self-propelled howitzers, K10 transport-loading vehicles and support vehicles.
The total value of the contract was 1.3828 trillion. won (about 996 million dollars). The agreement provides for the supply of 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 transport-loading vehicles. Under the terms of the contract, deliveries will be carried out jointly with Romanian companies starting in 2027.
According to Hanwha Aerospace, the contract was concluded following a competition in which it outperformed competing products from NATO countries, including the German PzH2000 and the Turkish Firtina. After a four-month competition, the company was selected as the preferred bidder and signed a contract following negotiations with the Romanian government. In addition to the K9 and K10, the agreement includes the supply of related equipment, including wheeled reconnaissance vehicles and meteorological radars, as well as an initial set of ammunition.
Romania has become the 10th country in the world to which Hanwha Aerospace exports K9 (including K10). Six of them are members of NATO. Previously, the K9 was ordered by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea, Turkey, Poland, Norway, Finland, Estonia, India, Australia and Egypt. The total value of the howitzers sold is estimated at 13 trillion won.
Hanwha Aerospace also announced its intention to compete for the supply of infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Romanian Armed Forces. Leading defense companies from Germany and the United Kingdom will participate in this project. Hanwha Aerospace plans to submit a proposal for the supply of a Redback armored vehicle, previously selected for delivery to the Australian Armed Forces. Since the Redback is equipped with the same powerplant as the K9, its operation and maintenance will be more profitable for the Romanian Armed Forces.
As reported by CAMTO, the tender procedure for the purchase of 54 units of 155-mm self-propelled howitzers has been conducted since July 27, 2023. Applicants had to submit proposals by September 11, 2023. They came from Hanwha Aerospace (K9 "Thunder"), German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (now KNDS Deutschland), which offered SG Pzh2000, and Turkish BMC Savunma Sanayi (T-155 "Firtina"). According to reports, the request of the Polish Huta Stalowa Wola for an extension of the deadline for submitting proposals was rejected. The three remaining contestants submitted their final proposals to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs by January 11, 2024.
According to the tender documentation published last year, it was supposed to purchase three divisions of 155-mm self-propelled howitzers, over 17,352 high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, 324 smoke and lighting ammunition, as well as 720 training ammunition. Each division will include 18 howitzers, 9 sets of spare barrels, 12 specialized transport and loading vehicles, 9 artillery reconnaissance vehicles, a weather station, 3 repair and evacuation vehicles and 3 acoustic reconnaissance systems. The selection criteria were compliance with technical requirements (70%) and cost (30%). The estimated maximum purchase cost was 4,184 billion. lei ($920 million). The winner must complete the deliveries within 60 months (5 years) from the date of conclusion of the contract.
South Korean Hanwha Aerospace was initially considered the favorite of the tender. Earlier, in February 2023, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Romanian state defense company Romarm on the export of K9 howitzers and AS21 infantry fighting vehicles. Romanian government delegations visited the Republic of Korea three times in 2023 to assess potential cooperation opportunities.
