The US Army has awarded Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, the largest and the most influential defence corporation in South Korea, an agreement to develop prototypes for its Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) programme. As per the deal, the K9 Mobile Howitzer will be evaluated as part of the service's artillery modernisation efforts.
The firm-fixed-price agreement will initially provide six prototype Mobile Tactical Cannon systems, with an option for another 12, potentially taking the total to 18 wheeled self-propelled howitzer systems.
The amount of the action is $100.3 million, while the total cumulative face value stands at $262.9 million. The programme is expected to run for around four years and will involve rapid prototyping, testing and experimentation by US Army soldiers.
While the US Army's announcement did not identify the system as the K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH), also known as the K9A2, Hanwha Defense USA announced that it had secured the contract to provide prototype K9 Mobile Howitzers for the MTC programme, according to a report by TWZ.
The deal marks the firm's first major contract with the US Army.
The US Army said the award followed extensive market research and engagement with the industry, including several vendor demonstrations conducted in the US and overseas.
Under the programme, soldiers will put the prototype systems through operational experiments to examine their performance, reliability and supportability under realistic combat conditions.
Hanwha said the 155mm artillery system would support the US Army's modernisation and long-range precision fires objectives. More than 2,500 K9 howitzers are already fielded globally.
"We are honored that the US Army has selected Hanwha's K9 Mobile Howitzer to fulfill its Mobile Tactical Cannon requirement," Hanwha Defense USA COO and president of Land Systems Mike Smith said.
The India connection in the deal
The K9 family already has a significant connection with India through the K9 Vajra-T operated by the Indian Army.
The K9A2 is an extensively upgraded version of the original K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzer family. India's K9 Vajra-T, meanwhile, is an adaptation of the K9 Thunder tailored to meet the country’s operational requirements and conditions. K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace.
The K9 Vajra-T has been delivered to the Indian Army by Larsen & Toubro in collaboration with South Korea's Hanwha Defence.
The Indian version offers a longer firing range for deep fire support, a high rate of fire and accuracy, high levels of mobility and protection, and "shoot and scoot" capability. It is also designed to provide reliability across extreme weather conditions and hostile terrain.
The K9 Vajra-T is also capable of operating at its full potential in sub-zero temperatures and high-altitude areas.
