Swedish defense officials visit Hanwha as Nordic demand for artillery system grows

Peter Sandwall (center), Sweden's state secretary to the minister for defense, Swedish defense officials and Hanwha Aerospace executives pose for a photo in front of the K9 self-propelled howitzer during a visit to Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon plant on Wednesday. (Hanwha Aerospace)

Sweden’s senior defense officials visited Hanwha Aerospace’s production facilities in South Korea on Wednesday, amid growing defense cooperation between Nordic countries and the Korean defense giant as Europe accelerates rearmament efforts.

Hanwha Aerospace said Peter Sandwall, Sweden's state secretary to the minister for defense, visited the company’s plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, during a broader visit to South Korea for bilateral defense consultations.

Sandwall and other senior officials from the Swedish Ministry of Defense toured the production lines for the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Chunmoo Multiple Rocket Launcher System at the company’s second Changwon plant.

The visit comes amid growing defense ties between Northern European countries and South Korean arms manufacturers as regional governments boost military spending and modernize their armed forces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and NATO’s broad rearmament push.

Sweden and Hanwha Aerospace already maintain a defense supply relationship. In October 2025, Hanwha announced a follow-on contract valued at approximately 150 billion won ($99.9 million) to supply additional Modular Charge Systems to the Swedish Armed Forces. The systems are propellant charge modules used with 155mm artillery ammunition and followed an earlier agreement signed in 2024.

Hanwha Aerospace has been expanding its footprint across Northern Europe, where demand for artillery systems and long-range firepower capabilities has risen sharply.

In April, Finland signed a contract for 112 additional K9 self-propelled howitzers valued at approximately 546 million euros ($636 million), following its initial purchase of 96 K9 units in 2017.

Norway, which has operated K9 since 2017, signed an additional contract in September 2025 that will bring its fleet to 52 units by 2027. The country also signed a $922 million contract for Chunmoo MRLS in January.

Estonia also expanded its Chunmoo fleet through a follow-on agreement signed in May, increasing the number of launchers in operation to nine.

Industry observers say Hanwha has gained traction partly because it can supply both launchers and munitions faster than many European rivals. Its systems are also optimized for a range of operating environments, including Arctic conditions.