Hanwha further expands global defense market presence with nearly $1B K9, K10 deal with Romania

Hanwha Aerospace secured a nearly $1 billion contract with Romania to supply 54 K9¹ self-propelled howitzers (SPH) and 36 K10² ammunition resupply vehicles (ARV) to the Eastern European country — a deal that highlights Hanwha’s continued expansion into the global defense market.

Under the contract, signed on July 9 by Hanwha Aerospace and the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, Hanwha will deliver the vehicles in stages over the next five years, with the first delivery due in early 2027.

“This is a remarkable deal that can further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries,” said Jae-il Son, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace. “This contract involves not only artillery vehicles but also support vehicles and ammunition, representing Hanwha Aerospace’s capability to provide a total package of advanced defense solutions based on its world-leading technological expertise and production capacity.” 

Most of the vehicles will be manufactured in Romania with extensive involvement of local suppliers. With the aim of maximizing benefits to the Romanian defense industry, Hanwha Aerospace will provide various localization programs including local production of defense equipment, technology transfer, and local facilities for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO). 

Through this partnership and other future projects, Romania will become a hub for Hanwha Aerospace’s land business in Europe. Additionally, with this deal, Romania joins the ranks as the 10th customer nation operating K9s, and as the sixth user nation among NATO members to acquire the K9, following Türkiye, Poland, Norway, Finland, and Estonia.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Systems signed a $867 million deal to supply a multi-function radar (MFR) for the medium-range surface-to-air missile system M-SAM-II, also known as Chungoong-II, to Saudi Arabia. The deal is part of a larger $3.2 billion contract signed with Saudi Arabia in February 2024 to supply the Chungoong-II system. Hanwha Systems will provide the MFR, a core component of the system, while Hanwha Aerospace will supply the launchers.

"Hanwha Systems is setting a new milestone in the history of Korean defense exports by supplying state-of-the-art radars to Saudi Arabia after providing MFRs to the United Arab Emirates last year," said Sung-Chul Eoh, CEO of Hanwha Systems. "We will continue to build a stronger presence in the global defense market by expanding our export portfolio to include future weapon systems with new technologies such as lightweight active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and unmanned naval systems for customers in the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia."

As part of such expansion efforts, Hanwha Aerospace previously signed a $1.6 billion contract in April 2024 to supply 72 Chunmoo³ rocket artillery units to Poland, the second contract following a larger agreement reached with the country in 2022. Based on the success of the latest deals, Hanwha will expand cooperation with its overseas partners and further strengthen its position in the global defense market. 

¹K9: The K9 self-propelled howitzer is the world’s most advanced self-propelled howitzer developed using Hanwha’s proprietary technology. Nicknamed “Thunder,” the K9 self-propelled howitzer can deliver consistent, accurate, and rapid effects at ranges of more than 40 kilometers. 

²K10: The K10 is the world’s first automated ammunitions carrier designed to resupply ammunition to the K9. The vehicle can support the K9 by carrying and resupplying 104 shells of 155mm artillery ammunition and 504 units of charges under contested conditions.

³Chunmoo: Hanwha Aerospace’s multi rocket launcher system (MRLS) which has unmatched capabilities including real-time wide precision strikes against key targets. Chunmoo is the product of the first system development project led by a South Korean defense company.

Hanwha Systems

As a global total solutions company, Hanwha Systems provides differentiated smart technologies by leveraging synergies with advanced defense electronics and future–ready ICT technologies. In addition to our world–class expertise in defense electronics, we also provide state–of–the–art IT services, such as AI, big data, blockchain, cloud services and more, to lead digital innovation across a range of industries.

For more information, visit: www.hanwhasystems.com/en/index.do

Hanwha Aerospace

Founded in 1977, Hanwha Aerospace has become a leading company in the aerospace industry in South Korea. Today, Hanwha Aerospace’s products serve not only aerospace but also the defense and marine sectors. With an unwavering focus on customer-centric quality management, technological innovation, and product competitiveness reinforced by advanced technologies, Hanwha Aerospace is surging forward as a global leader in the burgeoning space and aerospace business as well as in the land, sea, and air defense industries.

For more information, visit: www.hanwhaaerospace.co.kr/eng/