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Hanwha Aerospace inks $250 million K9 howitzer supply deal with Vietnam: Sources

Published: 14 Aug. 2025, 11:23 Updated: 14 Aug. 2025, 15:47

K9A1 self-propelled howitzers are seen firing shells toward a target during live-fire drills in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on July 31. [NEWS1]

Hanwha Aerospace, a major Korean defense firm, has signed an agreement to export its homegrown K9 self-propelled howitzers to Vietnam, marking the first arms sale to the Southeast Asian country, industry sources said Thursday.

Under the government-to-government deal worth $250 million concluded last month, Hanwha Aerospace will supply 20 K9 howitzers to Vietnam, according to sources familiar with the matter.

It is also the first K9 export to a Southeast Asian country, expanding the artillery's presence beyond markets that include Poland, Finland, Estonia, Egypt, India and Australia.

Korea had never sold its weapons to Vietnam before, having only donated decommissioned patrol ships in the past.

The deal comes as Korea and Vietnam seek to deepen cooperation in economic and other fields, following Vietnamese President To Lam's recent state visit to Seoul for summit talks with President Lee Jae Myung.

Yonhap