Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) has landed its first major contract with the US Army to provide prototype K9 Mobile Howitzers (K9MH) for the military’s Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) programme.
Awarded under Other Transaction Authority, the agreement is valued at up to $262.9m and covers an estimated four-year period.
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The agreement encompasses the accelerated supply of six prototype systems, with an option for a further 12 units.
According to the US Army, these platforms will be operated in a series of field experiments to evaluate their performance, reliability, and maintainability under realistic combat scenarios.
The information gathered from these experiments will be used to support senior leadership decisions regarding future deployments. If fielded, the MTC is intended to succeed M777 towed artillery systems in certain units, with the aim of enhancing mobility, reliability, and survivability on contemporary battlefields.
“By rapidly prototyping these systems, the Army is advancing a more mobile and adaptable fires formation aligned with the rigorous demands of large-scale combat operations,” the US Army stated.
Currently, more than 2,500 K9 Howitzers are in service worldwide, which Hanwha states provides a foundation for collaborating with the US Department of War to establish large-scale industrial capacity based on Hanwha’s existing production practices.
As part of its localisation plan, HDUSA is establishing a facility in Opelika, Alabama, which will function as the US integration and test centre for the K9 platform.
The company said it signed a three-year lease in Opelika earlier this year to support this expansion, with the facility set to serve as the main assembly and evaluation site for Hanwha’s family of mobile howitzers.
Hanwha emphasised that its approach would bring advanced manufacturing methods and jobs to the US, noting the company’s experience localising production in countries including Australia, Egypt, Poland and Romania.
Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said: “Hanwha’s global supply chain and local production experience in Australia, Egypt, Poland and Romania demonstrate a proven commitment to local execution we’re excited to bring to the US.
“Localisation is central to Hanwha’s global business model, leveraging our global leading industrial technology and process in Korea to create sovereign industrial strength in the US, whether it be in shipbuilding, munitions or combat vehicles.”
