The South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace (as part of the Hanwha Group) announced that on July 9, 2024, it signed a contract worth about $ 1 billion with the Romanian Ministry of National Defense to supply the Romanian armed forces with 54 self-propelled K9 Thunder 155 mm/52 caliber howitzers of new production and 36 armored vehicles transporting K10 ammunition at the same base.
155 mm/52 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer manufactured by the South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace (as part of the Hanwha Group) during a demonstration by the Romanian delegation at the enterprise in Changwon, April 2024 (c) DefenseRomania
The delivery will also include 18 thousand combat and 720 inert 155 mm artillery rounds, spare barrels, spare parts, auxiliary and training equipment, simulators and more. The contract is designed for five years, and the first deliveries to the Romanian army under it should be made in early 2027, when the first divisional set of systems (18 K9 self-propelled guns and 12 K10 vehicles) and all artillery shots will be delivered. It is reported that for the next two divisional kits, the delivery time will be three years (i.e. July 2027) and five years (i.e. July 2029), respectively, from the date of signing the contract.
The first batch of K9 self-propelled guns under the contract will be manufactured at the Hanwha Aerospace enterprise in Changwon in South Korea, but the bulk will be assembled in Romania at the Hanwha Aerospace enterprise planned to be built there, with the broad involvement of local suppliers.
Romania will become the tenth recipient of the K9 ACS in the world and the sixth in NATO.
155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder (right) and armored ammunition transport vehicle K10 (left) manufactured by the South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace (as part of the Hanwha Group) (c) Hanwha Aerospace
