Hanwha Aerospace has successfully exported a domestic weapon system to the United States, the world's largest defense market, marking a significant milestone.
On August 19, industry sources reported that Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, signed a contract with the U.S. Army for the development of prototypes for the Maneuver Tactical Cannon (MTC) program. The contract includes the supply of six K9 wheeled howitzers (K9MH).
Over the next four years, the K9MH will undergo modifications to meet the operational requirements of the U.S. Army. Typically, the U.S. military finalizes a production contract after these adjustments, provided there are no significant defects or disqualifications.
The contract is valued at $100,029,961 (approximately 141.7 billion won), with a cumulative face value, including options, reaching $262,903,274 (about 371.5 billion won). The total production scale is estimated to be around 500 units, with project costs projected at approximately 10 trillion won.
Since early this year, the U.S. Army has sought to introduce a next-generation self-propelled howitzer, soliciting prototype submissions from major global defense firms. Various aspects, including delivery timelines, performance requirements, and localization costs, were evaluated across multiple global defense companies.
Participants included U.S. defense startups such as Anduril and Oshkosh Defense, as well as Elbit America, Italy's Leonardo, Germany's Rheinmetall, and the UK's BAE Systems. However, the K9 wheeled howitzer was selected as the sole provider.
The U.S. Army explained that this contract stipulates rapid delivery of the MTC prototype system and includes an option to order an additional 12 units. The contract was finalized after extensive market research and numerous supplier demonstration events conducted both in the U.S. and abroad.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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