US Army selects wheeled 155mm K9 Howitzer to replace its aging artillery guns

The U.S. Army has selected Hanwha Defense USA’s K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH) to build prototypes for its new Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, marking the South Korean defense company’s first major U.S. Army contract. Hanwha will initially deliver six prototype systems, with an option for another 12. As per reports, the agreement could be worth up to $262.9 million. The prototypes will allow the Army to evaluate the wheeled 155mm artillery system before deciding on potential follow-on production. The award is significant because the MTC program is intended to provide the Army with a more mobile alternative to its M777 155mm towed howitzers. The Army’s prototype solicitation calls for a mature, wheeled 155mm system that can undergo testing and experimentation as a potential replacement for the M777 in some formations. A wheeled version of the K9 The K9MH is based on Hanwha’s established K9 self-propelled howitzer family, but uses a wheeled Tatra Force 8×8 chassis rather than the tracked configuration of the standard K9. Hanwha says more than 2,500 K9 systems have been fielded globally, giving the company an existing production and operational base as it enters the U.S. competition. Several U.S. allies, including Australia, Poland and Norway have adopted the K9 family. The MTC requirement is centered on a 155mm cannon, with the Army’s solicitation specifying systems in the 49- to 56-caliber range. The Army is also working on ammunition and propulsion technologies intended to extend the range of future MTC systems. That combination of firepower and mobility is central to the program. A wheeled self-propelled howitzer can relocate under its own power rather than requiring a separate vehicle to tow the gun, potentially reducing the time and personnel required to move artillery between firing positions. Hanwha is also building in the U.S. The Army’s selection is not simply about importing an existing Korean artillery system. Hanwha Defense USA has been developing a U.S. industrial footprint around the K9MH. In April, the company announced that it had leased a facility in Opelika, Alabama, to serve as its initial U.S. integration and testing site for the K9 Mobile Howitzer family. The first phase is expected to create approximately 40 jobs. The company has described localization as a central part of its strategy, with plans to develop domestic production and support capabilities as the program progresses. That industrial component matters because the Army’s MTC solicitation explicitly evaluates more than just the weapon’s technical performance. Prototype proposals were also assessed on U.S. integration, delivery schedule, production cost, supply-chain health and plans for transitioning to domestic production. Six systems first, much larger program possible The current award is a prototype contract, not a full-rate production order. The Army will use the initial systems for testing and experimentation before deciding which platform should move forward. The MTC program could ultimately be considerably larger. Industry reporting has put the Army’s broader requirement at roughly 500 systems. At the same time, the Army’s 2027 budget documents allocate more than $1.1 billion across the MTC program’s planned development and production activities over the budget period. For Hanwha, that makes the six-prototype award much more consequential than its initial quantity suggests. The company now has to demonstrate that the K9MH can meet the Army’s requirements in U.S. testing, and that its proposed American production network can deliver the mobility, firepower and industrial capacity the service is seeking from its next-generation Mobile Tactical Cannon.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories. His writing covers technology, sustainability, geopolitics, and occasionally fiction. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, his work has appeared in the Times of India and beyond. After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently. Outside work, he juggles far too many projects and passions, but always makes time to read, reflect, and hold onto the thread of wonder.