Hanwha Aerospace Bags $250M K9 Howitzer Deal With Vietnam

Hanwha Aerospace has signed a $250 million government-to-government agreement to supply 20 K9 self-propelled howitzers to Vietnam, as per Korean media.

This marks South Korea’s first-ever arms sale to Vietnam.

The contract, reportedly concluded in July and facilitated through the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, will see deliveries completed by the end of 2025. This also represents the first K9 export to any Southeast Asian country, expanding its operational footprint beyond markets such as Poland, Finland, Estonia, Egypt, India, and Australia.

Until now, South Korea had only provided Vietnam with decommissioned patrol ships, without engaging in commercial weapons sales. The deal follows Vietnamese President To Lam’s recent state visit to Seoul, during which he met President Lee Jae Myung to discuss deeper economic and defense cooperation. Both countries announced plans to resume the Korea–Vietnam Defense and Military Cooperation Committee, inactive for 17 years, and strengthen links between their defense industries.

Vietnam’s adoption of the K9 marks a notable shift in its procurement strategy, as the country sourced over 80 percent of its arms from Russia between 2000 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The K9’s combination of firepower, mobility, and competitive pricing — estimated at around $12 million per unit — had drawn Vietnamese interest for years.

In 2024, Major General Nguyen Hong Phong, commander of Vietnam’s artillery corps, suggested the K9 could be deployed to Artillery Brigade 204 near Hanoi. Vietnamese personnel have also trained in Korea on the strategic use of artillery, including the K9 and the K2 tank.