지원받던 76년 전 넘어 K9 자주포 ‘10조’ 수출길…생존력 끌어올린 차륜형

South Korea's K9 self-propelled gun, '10조', has secured export markets after receiving U.S. military support for 76 years. The 105mm M2A1 and 155mm M114 howitzers previously guarded key lines of defense, such as the Nakdong River, during the Korean War. In 1999, the K9 self-propelled gun was developed to counter North Korea's Haesung artillery piece, marking a shift in the military landscape.

K9 self-propelled guns were subsequently exported to Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia, Egypt, Romania, and nine other nations, known as the 'K-разноядный' to the global export market. U.S. military support for the 76th-year-old Korean-produced self-propelled gun led to the opening of its export route to the United States in 2026.

Hanwha Aerospace, a subsidiary of Hanwha Defense USA, announced on the 19th that it had secured a contract to supply six prototype K9MH K9 self-propelled guns to the U.S. military. The U.S. military stated that it would receive up to 18 K9MH self-propelled guns for weapon testing and operational use over the next four years, which is a preliminary step toward the final production contract.

The deal attracted global export companies such as Linmetal, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Elbit Systems Inc. The U.S. military has been developing a next-generation self-propelled gun to replace the M109 series self-propelled guns it has relied on for 60 years, but has repeatedly failed due to strategic and technical challenges.

Hanwha Aerospace began promoting the Korean market to the U.S. in 2017 by displaying a K9 self-propelled gun in Washington D.C. and proving the compatibility between K9 self-propelled guns and American-made ammunition at Arizona's Fort Yuma testing range in 2022. Out of the 18,000 worldwide self-propelled guns, most are towed versions.

The K9MH, however, is a new chassis model with the ability to move after firing within 30 seconds. While the U.S. military has preferred towed self-propelled guns, Gen. Dan Driscoll, Army Secretary, expressed concern over the slow deployment time of towed self-propelled guns in rugged terrain compared to the faster-moving chassis model.

Hanwha Aerospace explained that the self-propelled gun's ability to quickly redeploy in remote areas with lighter operation and maintenance costs makes it advantageous for military operations. The U.S. military currently relies on M109 Paladin and M777 towed guns as its primary artillery pieces. Hanwha Aerospace claims that they have developed the K9MH version with self-propelled gun mounts for the U.S. military in just 30 months, targeting the U.S. military's demand.

The U.S. military announced that if the K9 self-propelled gun is approved for real-world deployment, some units may replace M777 towed guns, significantly improving combat power, mobility, and survivability. Military publications TWZ praised South Korea's defense industry for another significant victory in the global export market following its recent success in overseas sales.