Hanwha Secures Its First Major Contract with the U.S. Army and Establishes an Integration and Test Facility in Alabama.
Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) has secured a contract to deliver Hanwha K9MH (K9 Mobile Howitzer) systems under the U.S. Army’s Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) programme. The agreement, which calls for accelerated deliveries, also includes options for 12 additional systems.
The company will provide a 155 mm artillery system to support the U.S. Army’s modernization and long-range precision fires objectives. The K9MH is a wheeled version of the K9. It also provides a growth path toward a future tracked configuration. Additionally, it is compatible with the full range of U.S. Army ammunition. With the selection of the system, the United States joins nearly a dozen allies. Those allies share a common industrial network and supply chain.
Hanwha also states that more than 2,500 K9 howitzers are in service worldwide. Meanwhile, the company plans to develop local production and support infrastructure in the United States for high-volume manufacturing. As part of this effort, Hanwha is establishing a phase-one facility in Opelika, Alabama. This site will serve as the U.S. integration and test site for the K9 Mobile Howitzer family. HDUSA has signed a three-year lease for the facility. Moreover, the company aims to strengthen the U.S. artillery system supply chain and combat vehicle industrial base through the investment. Furthermore, the company will continue evaluating additional phases and new locations.
Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said the company plans to bring its localization experience from Australia, Egypt, Poland and Romania to the United States. In addition, Hanwha aims to use its manufacturing technologies and processes from Korea to build local industrial capacity in the United States across shipbuilding, munitions and combat vehicles.
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Source: C4Defence – Hanwha Defense USA
