IRIA News

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense has announced the acquisition of 54 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea. The official announcement was made on June 19 following a high-level meeting between Romanian and South Korean defense chiefs.

The procurement of the K9 Thunder howitzers, manufactured by South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, is a strategic decision to bolster Romania’s defense posture amidst growing regional security concerns. This deal underscores the deepening military and industrial ties between Romania and South Korea, marking a notable shift in Romania’s defense procurement strategy.

The selection of the K9 Thunder was the outcome of a competitive process. According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, the South Korean company emerged as “the winner of a competitive procedure for Romania’s purchase of three howitzer systems caliber 155 mm at battalion level, comprising 54 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, support equipment, and an initial amount of specific ammunition.”

The exact value of the contract remains undisclosed. However, based on earlier estimates from the ministry it can be deduced that Bucharest intends to allocate approximately around $910 million for the acquisition, which includes the howitzers, associated gear, and ammunition. This significant investment is a testament to Romania’s commitment to modernizing its military forces.

Romanian Minister of National Defense Angel Tîlvăr met with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on June 19 in Bucharest to discuss international security and defense cooperation. Romanian Defense Minister Tîlvăr praised the growing partnership between the two countries and announced that South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace won the contract to provide Romania with K9 Thunder howitzers.

Glad to meet in Bucharest with 🇰🇷 Defense Minister Shin Won-sik. We discussed international security and defense cooperation. It was announced that Hanwha Aerospace won the contract for 54 K9 Thunder howitzers for 🇷🇴. Excited about our growing partnership! pic.twitter.com/4bSkv1ANki

— Angel Tîlvăr (@AngelTilvar) June 19, 2024

Since Romania shares a 400-mile-long border with Ukraine, the Romanian government has significantly increased its efforts to strengthen the country’s land and aerial defense capabilities. Under the increasing pressure from its allies and the changing security situation of the region due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania is among several other Eastern European countries that are rapidly evaluating their defense strategy and upgrading their arsenals.

Competing bidders

The K9 Thunder was chosen by the Romanian Defense Ministry over other competing systems, such as Germany’s Panzerhaubitze 2000 from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Turkey’s T-155 Firtina from BMC. While each of these artillery systems has its unique strengths, the K9 Thunder stood out due to several key factors.

These include its proven performance in various conditions, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for industrial cooperation, which added significant value to Romania’s defense capabilities and economic interests. This combination gave the K9 Thunder a competitive edge in the selection process.

The South Korean self-propelled artillery system is NATO compatible, and it can be deployed in a wide range of environments, including snowy and desert terrains.

The 47-ton weapon system is equipped with a 360-degree swivel turret that has a range of 40 km and a movement speed of up to 67 km/h. It has a firing range of 18-50 km depending on ammunition, and it is also equipped with an automatic fire control system and can fire within 30 seconds from a stationary position and 60 seconds while moving, with a fire rate of 6 to 8 per minute.

The K9 system has accounted for about 50 percent of the global self-propelled artillery market in the past five years, which makes the system the world’s best-selling artillery. Several countries have recently opted for this system including Poland, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Turkey, India, and Australia.