Korea's Hanwha to set up K9 Thunder howitzer maintenance centre in Romania

Hanwha Defense has announced the establishment of a regional centre in Romania for the production, maintenance and repair of K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers.

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This initiative became possible after the signing of a contract between the South Korean company and Bucharest in 2024 for the supply of 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition delivery vehicles.

It is planned that the centre will be built in Dambovita County within two years, starting in the first quarter of 2026. The project will be carried out in cooperation with defence companies such as Iveco and Pro Optica.

The construction schedule coincides with the delivery of the first batch of 18 K9 howitzers and 12 K10 vehicles, which will be delivered to Romania directly from South Korea.

The plant will create around 2,000 new jobs in the NATO country once it opens. In addition to the K9 and K10, the centre will also support other Hanwha products purchased by Romania's allies.

The South Korean Army's K9 self-propelled howitzers. Illustration: Dong-a Ilbo

"Our priority is to supply the K9 and K10, but we already have several of these vehicles in NATO and Europe. The idea is not only to produce the components, but also to do the maintenance and repair here in Romania," Hanwha Global Defence CEO Michael Coulter said during a meeting with Romanian journalists.

According to Agerpres, the contract will be implemented in three stages. Production will be gradually transferred to Romania with the involvement of local companies.

After the project is completed, Romania will become the tenth country in the world to use the 155mm K9 Thunder howitzer and the sixth NATO country to adopt the system.

Source: TDP