Hanwha Aerospace, a prominent South Korean defense contractor, has successfully expanded the market for its K9 self-propelled artillery to Romania. With this agreement, Romania becomes the tenth country to adopt the K9, further cementing its reputation as a standard artillery system among Western nations.
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense announced on June 19, 2024, that Hanwha Aerospace was selected as the preferred bidder for Romania’s self-propelled howitzer project. This selection follows a summit between South Korea and Romania in April. To finalize the negotiations, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik visited Romania to discuss with Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar.
The deal includes 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, marking Romania’s largest arms acquisition in the past seven years. The contract is valued at $920 million. As a NATO member, Romania has been modernizing its armed forces since 2023, aiming to replace its outdated towed artillery systems. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has heightened Romania’s concerns about potential threats from Russia, prompting this modernization effort.