South Korea and Vietnam have entered into a Government-to-Government (G2G) deal for the sale of K9 155mm/52 caliber Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPH). This marks the first sale of the Korean-built tracked howitzers to a communist country and is also the first sale of these guns to a nation in SE-Asia.

As per Korean media reports, the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) will acquire more than 25 K9 SPH’s, in a deal inked last month worth approximately US$25 million. As per various sources the K9 SPH is priced at approximately US$12 million per unit.

While unknown as yet, the Vietnamese order is likely to include K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicles (ARV) and K11 fire control vehicles. In total, the VPA could acquire up to 100 K9 SPHs along with associated support equipment. The VPA is likely to acquire the K9A1 variant with some country specific modifications.

Manufactured by the South Korean firm Hanwha Aerospace, different K9 variants have been ordered by South Korea, Poland, Norway, Finland, Estonia, India, Türkiye, Australia, Egypt and Romania with over 1,800 units in active service.

Nicknamed THUNDER, the 47 tonne K9A1 SPH can engage targets out to ranges of 40+ km, firing multiple rounds before immediately moving to a different location to avoid counter-battery fire. It can attain speeds of up to 67km/h.

The tracked howitzers are supported on the field with K10 automated ammunitions carriers, which are designed to carry and resupply 104 shells of 155mm artillery ammunition and 504 units of charges under contested conditions. The K10 is based on the chassis of K9 howitzer, sharing most of its components and characteristics.

The newest K9A2 variant features a fully automated turret system, with a fully automatic projectile loading system, delivering an increased rate of fire of 9-10 rounds per minute. As compared to the K9A1, the newer K9A2 requires only a crew of three as compared to five for the former. Both models however, share the same suspension and 155 mm/52-caliber gun.

In July, last year, Hanwha Aerospace bagged a contract worth nearly US$1 billion from Romania to supply 54 K9 SPHs and 36 K10 ARVs, with deliveries to commence in 2027.

Egypt which signed a US$1.7 billion contract in 2022 for hundreds of K9 SPHs, K10 ARVs, and K11 fire control vehicles is slated to receive its first batch of K9A1 EGYs equipped with Korean-built engines, no later than the first quarter of 2026. Egypt will be the first operator to receive K9s with the domestically-built 1,000 HP diesel engine.

Turkey was the first export customer for the K9 SPH in 2001. India which has placed an order for 100 K9A1 SPHs in 2001 recently placed orders for an additional 100 tracked howitzers, which are known as the VAJRA-T locally.

Hanwha Aerospace’s export efforts with the K9 SPH will receive a boost once its current German MTU diesel powerplant, which is produced under license in South Korea by STX as the STX-MTU MT881Ka-500 and develops 735 kW, is replaced by the home-grown 1,000 HP diesel engine. “With the successful completion of the homegrown engine test, we can offer specialized engine to any potential K9 customers, which is expected to expand K9’s global presence” Kim Dong-hyun, Head of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace had said in February, this year following the completion of a year-long testing programme.

The indigenously developed powerplant will deliver enhanced performance and improved fuel-economy. Full-scale development of a domestic engine for the K9 SPH started in April 2021.

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