US Army picks South Korea’s K9MH for new mobile artillery program PHOTO/VIDEO

The US Army has selected South Korea’s K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH) for its Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, awarding Hanwha Defense USA a contract worth up to $262.9 million.

Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korean defense giant Hanwha Aerospace, will initially deliver six 8×8 K9MH prototypes under a four-year contract, with an option for 12 additional systems, Asian Military Review reports.

The MTC program is seeking a wheeled 155mm artillery system to eventually replace the US Army’s towed M777 howitzers. According to the Army, the prototypes will undergo “a series of operational experiments to assess performance, reliability and supportability in realistic combat conditions.” The resulting data will help inform future decisions on fielding the system.

The K9MH is a wheeled derivative of Hanwha’s tracked K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer, which is already in service or under procurement in countries including Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, India, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Türkiye and Vietnam.

Hanwha has also established local production capabilities in several of those markets. A similar approach is planned for the United States, with Hanwha Defense USA establishing a howitzer manufacturing facility in Opelika, Alabama.

“Localisation is central to Hanwha’s global business model, leveraging our global, leading industrial technology and process in Korea to create sovereign industrial strength in the US, whether it be in shipbuilding, munitions or combat vehicles,” Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said.

Hanwha Defense USA COO and President of Land Systems Mike Smith described the selection as recognition of the company’s ability to deliver “devastating capability at speed, at scale, on cost and onshore.”

The Army evaluated several competing systems, including Elbit Systems’ Sigma, Rheinmetall’s RCH155, BAE Systems’ Archer and the KNDS Caesar.

While specifications for the K9MH have not been disclosed, the latest K9A2 variant features a 155mm L/52 gun with a reported range of up to 41 kilometers using K307 ammunition. It also incorporates an advanced automated loading and fire-control system designed to increase firing rates. It remains unclear whether these capabilities will be incorporated into the K9MH configuration selected for the MTC program.

By Vafa Guliyeva