Hanwha Aerospace presents future self-propelled howitzer concepts at K9 User Club

Hanwha Aerospace has unveiled new operational concepts and future development directions for the K9 self-propelled howitzer to the countries that operate it.

The company said Thursday it presented a concept at the 5th K9 User Club, held Wednesday (local time) in Tartu, Estonia, for linking a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fire-direction drone with the K9 howitzer.

The K9 User Club rotates among member nations each year, with next year's event to be held in Australia. This year's gathering drew a record 200-plus participants — representatives from seven K9-operating nations including South Korea, Poland, Norway, Finland, Romania and Australia, along with military and industry officials.

The fire-direction drone detects and tracks targets from the air, generates coordinates and supports K9 firing missions. After a shot is fired, it can observe the point of impact and conduct battle damage assessments, linking the full sequence from target detection to strike to damage evaluation. The system is designed to shorten the sensor-to-shooter timeline and improve response capability against moving or time-sensitive targets.

Participating nations also showed strong interest in a wheeled self-propelled howitzer incorporating core K9 technologies. The K9MH, recently selected as a prototype for the US Army's Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, pairs a fully automated turret with a wheeled platform. During US Army performance evaluations, the K9MH demonstrated a high-rate firing capability of nine rounds in under one minute.

Hanwha Aerospace also introduced a digital logistics support system aimed at improving K9 operational availability. The company's TOMMS Sustainment Portal (TSP) consolidates into a single digital environment tasks previously handled by email and manual processes — from parts quotation requests and ordering to delivery tracking. Around 700 to 800 types of high-demand parts have been catalogued digitally, allowing operating nations to quickly check availability and place orders.

Poland plans to integrate TSP with a parts warehouse it is currently building, with the goal of shortening parts supply times for European K9 operators and strengthening local logistics capabilities. "Hanwha Aerospace will work more closely with operating nations going forward to enhance interoperability and, through digital and AI-driven logistics innovation, improve the operational efficiency and reliability of the K9 throughout its entire life cycle," said Bae Jin-gyu, head of the company's MRO business division.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Aerospace held a Chunmoo User Workshop as a side event to the K9 User Club on the same day. About 40 military, government and industry officials from Chunmoo-operating nations attended, along with the head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's firepower projects division. Participants shared experiences and expertise on Chunmoo fielding, operation and maintenance, training, and parts and spare parts management. Hanwha Aerospace said it plans to build on the workshop by hosting the first official Chunmoo User Club in South Korea next year.