Hanwha Aerospace is exporting K9 self-propelled howitzers to Spain. This is the first time the K9 self-propelled howitzer has entered Western Europe, a major advanced defense market. With LIG D&A also signing a partnership with a German defense company to target the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) air defense market, analysts say the export regions for “K-Defense,” which had been heavily concentrated in Eastern and Northern Europe, are now expanding into Western Europe.

On the 31st, Hanwha Aerospace announced that it had signed an “Export Execution Contract for K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers, etc. to Spain” with Spanish defense company Indra Sistemas. Specific details such as the contract value, supply quantity, and duration were not disclosed on the grounds of protecting business confidentiality. However, given that Hanwha Aerospace’s recent sales amount to KRW 26.7 trillion and that large corporate order disclosures are required for deals exceeding 2.5% of sales, the size of this contract is estimated to be above KRW 667.5 billion.

This contract is significant as it marks the K9’s first entry into the Western European market. Since first being exported to Türkiye in 2001, the K9 has expanded its export destinations to Poland, Finland, India, Norway, Estonia, Australia, Egypt, and Romania. Even so, exports to Europe have mainly been focused on Eastern and Northern Europe. Western Europe, where traditional defense powerhouses such as Germany and the United Kingdom are concentrated, has presented relatively high entry barriers.

Recently, however, the K9’s firepower, mobility, and operational and maintenance efficiency have been well received, leading more countries to consider its adoption. On the 19th, Hanwha also secured a contract to supply six wheeled K9 self-propelled howitzer prototypes to the U.S. Army, achieving the first entry of a domestically manufactured complete weapon system into the U.S. market. The defense industry estimates that the K9 holds a 60% share of the global self-propelled howitzer market.

In Spain, this project is being viewed not as a simple weapons procurement but as a rebuilding initiative for the country’s artillery industry. According to Spanish military media outlet Infodefensa, the Spanish Army’s artillery modernization program is worth up to EUR 4.55 billion (approximately KRW 7.7 trillion). The initial quantities will be supplied from Korea, after which local production in Spain will be gradually expanded. A plan is also under consideration for Indra to secure design authority for the localized K9. By 2027, additional local production facilities are to be established to secure production capacity of up to six units per month.

The expansion of local production is related to Europe’s defense industrial policy. The European Union (EU) provides financial support and procurement benefits to defense projects with a high proportion of intra-EU production. For this reason, LIG D&A is pursuing a similar strategy to penetrate the Western European market. In June, LIG D&A signed a strategic partnership with German defense company Rheinmetall to target the European and NATO air defense markets. The two companies plan to establish a joint venture and localize, upgrade, and sell LIG’s medium- and long-range air defense missiles in Europe.

Rami Kim, Korea Chair at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in the United Kingdom, stated, “With European demand for air defense surging, if the United States prioritizes interceptor missile needs in its own territory and the Middle East, Europe could fall down the supply queue,” adding, “Systems such as Cheongung-II, which have rapid production and delivery capabilities, could serve as an alternative to fill Europe’s air defense gap.”

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