Hanwha Aerospace will export additional K9 self-propelled howitzers to Finland. Under this contract, Finland will become the third NATO member state, after Türkiye and Poland, to operate more than 200 K9 self-propelled howitzers.

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 9th (local time) that it had signed a K9 self-propelled howitzer export contract worth approximately EUR 545 million (about KRW 940 billion) with the Finnish Ministry of Defence. The contract was concluded in a format whereby the Finnish Ministry of Defence first signed an intergovernmental export agreement with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), after which KOTRA entered into an export performance guarantee agreement with Hanwha.

The signing ceremony was held at the House of the Estates in Helsinki, Finland. Attendees included Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il, MRO Division Head Ahn Jang-hyuk, Olli Ruutu, Director General of Resource Policy at the Finnish Ministry of Defence, and Kim Jeong-ha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Finland. In March 2017, Finland signed a contract with Hanwha Aerospace (then Hanwha Techwin) to procure 48 K9 self-propelled howitzers and has since steadily expanded its acquisitions. Under the latest contract, Hanwha Aerospace plans to deliver 112 K9 self-propelled howitzers (including spare parts) to the Finnish Army starting in 2028.

The Finnish Army already operates the K9 as its main artillery weapon system. The newly introduced howitzers can be immediately integrated into existing maintenance infrastructure and training systems. It is understood that the ability to achieve rapid force integration without a separate transition period and to maximize operational stability influenced this additional procurement. The contract is viewed as demonstrating the K9’s characteristically high rate of follow-on orders, whereby once a country adopts the system, it continues to procure it. In particular, it is assessed that the K9’s operational performance and reliability have been reaffirmed in the extreme conditions of Northern Europe. This additional procurement by Finland is expected to further solidify the K9’s position in the Northern European market. Hanwha Aerospace plans to actively pursue expanded exports to neighboring countries such as Sweden and Denmark, based on the system’s proven performance and reliability.

Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il stated, “This export once again demonstrates that Hanwha Aerospace is a trusted partner in the European defense market,” adding, “The company will continue to strengthen partnerships with NATO allies, including those in Northern Europe.”

Popular News