U.S. Army takes delivery of first Hanwha-made mobile howitzer prototype
The U.S. Army has received its initial Mobile Tactical Cannon built by Hanwha Defense USA, marking the first South Korean artillery system to enter the U.S. market.
In a recent ceremony in Washington, the U.S. Army accepted its first Mobile Tactical Cannon, a mobile howitzer produced by Hanwha Defense USA, the American arm of South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace. The system is a wheeled adaptation of the K9 Thunder, a 155 mm artillery piece that has been in service with the South Korean military since 1999 and exported to several nations. The Army plans to field the new guns with Stryker brigade combat teams, aiming to phase out the M777 towed howitzers introduced in 2005.
Brig. Gen. Robert Mikesh Jr., the Army’s portfolio manager for offensive fires, expressed enthusiasm for testing the prototype and collecting soldier input. The agreement includes delivery of six prototypes, with an option for twelve additional units, and carries a total potential value of US$262.9 million. Hanwha sees this as its inaugural entry into the world’s largest defense market and intends to build a stable production base in the United States.
Why it matters
The delivery introduces a new, highly mobile artillery platform that could modernize U.S. ground forces and expand South Korean defense exports.
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