Spain Signs First Contract to Supply Artillery Components for K9 Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer

South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace has signed a contract with Spain’s Indra Sistemas to supply K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery systems.

The agreement provides for localized production of the howitzers in Spain, rather than direct import of finished equipment, according to Maeil Business.

The Korean side will provide the platform and key technologies, while Indra will manufacture the chassis, control systems, and components at its plant in Gijón.

The cost and timeline of the contract have not been officially disclosed due to commercial confidentiality, but the deal is estimated to be worth over €450 million.

The procurement is part of a large-scale program to modernize the Spanish Army’s self-propelled artillery, with a total value of €4.5 billion, which includes the purchase of 128 tracked and 86 wheeled self-propelled howitzers.

News of the development in Spain of a new wheeled self-propelled howitzer based on components from the South Korean K9 Thunder first emerged this past spring.

Spanish experts plan to borrow the main components of the loading and fire-control systems, which have already been tested on the tracked prototype. The vehicle’s primary armament will be a 155-mm gun with a 52-caliber barrel. This will allow for the standardization of ammunition use with allies.

To achieve a firing range of over 40 km, the military is considering options for using an even longer barrel.

Due to the integration of Korean automation technologies, the crew size for each vehicle will be reduced to three service members.

Instead of a specialized chassis, the developers will use a military truck platform with an 8×8 or 10×10 wheel configuration.

Militarnyi previously reported that the U.S. subsidiary  Hanwha Defense USA, signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to supply a prototype of the K9MH wheeled self-propelled howitzer.