Hanwha Unveils Future Operational Concept: Targeting with Drones, Striking with K9

K9 User Club Held in Estonia
Seven Operating Countries in Attendance
New Developments Unveiled: Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer, AI-Based Military Logistics Support
Annual ‘Cheonmu User Club’ to Launch Next Year

Hanwha Aerospace has unveiled a precision strike operational concept that integrates drones and the K9 self-propelled howitzer, presenting a vision for the future development of artillery systems.

On the 2nd (local time), Polish military officials participated in the 5th K9 User Club held in Tartu, Estonia. Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace announced on September 3 that the 'K9 User Club' opened on September 2 (local time) in Tartu, Estonia. Marking its fifth year, the event was attended by approximately 200 military and industry officials from the seven K9 operating countries—South Korea, Poland, Norway, Finland, Romania, and Australia—along with observer nations such as Spain and Sweden.

The event featured discussions on K9 operational and maintenance experiences from the participating countries, as well as new operational concepts and the future direction of artillery systems tailored to evolving battlefield environments.

Hanwha Aerospace presented an operational concept that links a vertical take-off and landing 'fire guidance drone' with the K9 self-propelled howitzer. In this concept, the drone detects and tracks targets from the air, generates coordinates, and supports K9 artillery fire while also conducting post-strike monitoring and damage assessment. The company explained that this approach reduces the time from target detection to strike and increases the ability to respond to moving and time-sensitive targets.

The company also introduced the K9MH wheeled self-propelled howitzer. The K9MH combines the K9’s automated turret with a wheeled platform and was recently selected as a prototype for the U.S. Army’s Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program. During U.S. Army trials, it demonstrated the ability to automatically fire nine rounds in under one minute.

A digital-based military logistics support system was also unveiled. The ‘TSP’ platform developed by Hanwha Aerospace integrates parts quotation, ordering, and delivery information into a single system. Going forward, the platform will be linked with the Polish parts warehouse to shorten parts supply times for European K9 operating countries, with the long-term goal of evolving into a predictive military logistics support system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.

The K9 User Club is hosted annually by member countries on a rotating basis, and next year’s event will be held in Australia.

Hanwha Aerospace is expanding the K9 User Club cooperation model to cover the multi-launch rocket system Cheonmu as well. Approximately 40 military, government, and industry officials from Cheonmu operating countries—including South Korea, Poland, Estonia, and Norway—attended the ‘Cheonmu User Workshop’ held on September 3.

Participants shared their experiences and know-how regarding Cheonmu force integration, operation and maintenance, training and education, and spare parts management. Starting with this workshop, Hanwha Aerospace plans to hold the first official ‘Cheonmu User Club’ in South Korea in 2027.

Bae Jinkyu, Head of MRO Business at Hanwha Aerospace, stated, "The K9 User Club is a collaborative platform where operating countries share hands-on experiences and know-how, and discuss further development directions for the K9. Through innovations in digital and AI-based military logistics support, we will enhance the operational efficiency and reliability of the K9."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.