South Korea’s flagship self-propelled howitzer, the K9, has set out to conquer the global market as the new wheeled self-propelled howitzer, the K9MH, by shedding its tracks and equipping it with wheels.

This is because the demand for wheeled self-propelled howitzers is growing rapidly as mobility and survivability have emerged as key elements of modern artillery power since the war in Ukraine.

The K9MH is a model that combines the existing K9 turret with an 8-wheel drive chassis jointly developed with Tatra of the Czech Republic. According to an analysis of the released demonstration video, it is evaluated to be capable of firing nine rounds in approximately 59 seconds.

The biggest stage the K9MH is targeting is the U.S. Army Artillery Force Modernization Program (SPH-M). This is a project worth approximately 10 trillion won to replace and supplement the M777 towed howitzers currently operated by the U.S. military, and the U.S. Army is requiring a fast, affordable, and automated wheeled self-propelled howitzer.

Furthermore, the K9 is considered a strength in that it possesses proven reliability and a maintenance system, having already been operated in over 10 countries with more than 2,600 units. Efforts to penetrate the European market are also gaining momentum.

Hanwha Aerospace has proposed a package of the existing K9 and K9MH for the Spanish Army's next-generation artillery modernization project, and is also pursuing the development of the Spain-specific K9E (Espana) self-propelled howitzer in cooperation with Indra, Spain's largest defense company.

With Finland placing repeat orders following Poland, India, Norway, and Estonia, the K9's combat reliability is being proven once again. The global self-propelled howitzer market is rapidly being reshaped following the war in Ukraine. In [The Main Game 2], we will examine whether the K9MH can break into the US Army's artillery modernization project and become a game changer in the global next-generation wheeled self-propelled howitzer market, and whether K-defense can once again prove its presence in the massive markets of the US and Europe.