Top US Army acquisition official visits Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon plant

Hanwha Aerospace said Wednesday that Brent Ingraham, the US Army's assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, led a delegation to its Changwon plant on Aug. 26 to assess the company's production capabilities across ground defense equipment, including the wheeled K9 self-propelled howitzer.

As the Army's top acquisition official, Ingraham oversees more than 550 acquisition programs with a combined portfolio of approximately $170 billion. He previously served as acting undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and as deputy assistant secretary for platform and weapons portfolio management at the US Defense Department.

During the visit, the delegation toured the wheeled K9 production line and examined automated processes — including robotic welding — that support mass production and quality control. They also reviewed Hanwha Aerospace's broader defense portfolio, which includes the Chunmoo multiple-launch guided missile system, M-SAM, L-SAM, the Redback infantry fighting vehicle and the Korean Vertical Launch System, along with live mobility demonstrations of both wheeled and tracked K9 howitzers. The delegation responded positively to the level of automation on the production line and the live equipment demonstrations, expressing strong interest in Hanwha's manufacturing capabilities and management systems.

The visit came shortly after Hanwha Defense USA, Hanwha Aerospace's US subsidiary, signed a contract with the US Army in August to supply six prototype wheeled howitzers based on the K9 platform, known as the K9MH. The two sides used the meeting to discuss avenues for South Korea-US defense cooperation in support of the US Army's force modernization efforts.

"For more than 70 years, the Korea-US alliance has been a cornerstone of peace and security, and defense cooperation has become a vital pillar sustaining that alliance," said Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Defense USA. "With proven manufacturing capabilities and global production experience, Hanwha will strengthen the deterrence of the Korea-US alliance and contribute to the US defense industrial base."