Korea to export $940 mn worth K9 howitzers to Romania

K9 self-propelled howitzer. [Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace Co.]

South Korea will export K9 self-propelled howitzers worth about 1.3 trillion won ($940.14 million) to Romania, the country’s Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.

The deal was finalized during a meeting between Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr in Romania on Wednesday (local time).

“The decision is a large-scale export contract worth $920 million,” the ministry said, describing it as “the largest arms acquisition project in Romania‘s recent seven-year history.”

The ministry did not disclose the specific volume of the contract, but industry insiders expect that Romania will import around 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles.

Hanwha Aerospace Co., the manufacturer of K9, is expected to officially sign an export contract with the Romanian side after further negotiations.

“Korea will be the optimal partner for Romania’s military modernization project,” Shin told Tîlvăr during the meeting, the ministry said.

He also expressed hopes that the relationship between the two countries would extend beyond simple arms sales to various defense and defense industry collaborations, such as joint production, cross-training between operating units, and personnel exchanges.

“True peace can only be secured if it is backed by strong forces, and I hope that both countries can fulfill their roles as bulwarks safeguarding freedom and peace in Asia and Europe,” he added.

Romania‘s decision to adopt the K9 brings the total number of countries that have adopted or are operating the K9 to 10, solidifying the K9’s reputation as a “global bestseller” in self-propelled artillery.

Romania is the sixth country among North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries that has purchased the K9, following Poland, Norway, Estonia, Turkey, and Finland.

Given that NATO countries prioritize the adoption of member states‘ weapon systems, this continued success of the K9 highlights its competitiveness in the market.

“When Poland decided to introduce the K9 on a large scale in 2022, it was regarded as a very special case within the region,” said Jang Won-joon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. “The success in exporting to additional NATO countries signifies recognition of the Korean defense industry’s strengths, including cost-performance and prompt delivery.”

Attention is also on whether Romania, following Poland, could become a new export bridgehead for the Korean defense industry.

Romania has decided to increase its defense budget from 2 percent to 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and to invest approximately 54 trillion won in weapons acquisition by 2032 to counter regional security threats following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

This has made Romania an emerging major customer for the defense industry, following Poland.

Additionally, Romania’s interest in other Korean weapons systems, such as Hanwha Aerospace‘s Redback infantry fighting vehicle, Hyundai Rotem Co.’s K2 tank, and LIG Nex1 Co.’s portable surface-to-air missile Shingung, indicates significant potential for further exports.

“Countries bordering Ukraine, such as Romania and Slovakia, are in a position to rapidly beef up their defense capabilities due to security concerns,” Jang said. ”Korea’s export bases will be expanded to Romania and Slovakia after Poland.“