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Bae Jin-gyu, head of Hanwha Aerospace's MRO business division, delivers an opening address at the 5th K9 User Club held in Tartu, Estonia, on the 2nd local time. / Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace presented a future artillery operational concept linking drones with the K9 self-propelled howitzer. The blueprint aims to connect drones with the K9 from target detection to strikes and battle damage assessment to enhance rapid, precision strike capabilities, while expanding the K9 operational scope to wheeled platforms and digital logistics support.

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 3rd that the K9 User Club opened on the 2nd local time in Tartu, Estonia. In its fifth edition this year, approximately 200 military and industry officials attended the event, including representatives from seven K9-operating nations—South Korea, Poland, Norway, Finland, Romania, and Australia—along with observer countries such as Spain and Sweden.

Hanwha Aerospace showcased an operational concept that links vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fire guidance drones with the K9 self-propelled howitzer. In this configuration, drones detect and track targets from the air to generate coordinates and support K9 fire missions, followed by impact observation and damage assessment. This setup reduces the sensor-to-shooter timeline from target identification to physical impact and bolsters responsiveness against mobile or time-sensitive targets.

A wheeled self-propelled howitzer incorporating core K9 technologies was also presented. The K9MH, recently selected as a prototype for the U.S. Army's MTC program, combines a fully automated turret with a wheeled platform. During U.S. Army performance validation evaluations, it demonstrated rapid-fire capabilities by automatically discharging nine rounds within one minute.

Hanwha Aerospace plans to scale up the firepower and automation technologies accumulated through the tracked K9 into various platforms, including wheeled configurations, to address operational environments and mobility requirements across different nations.

The company also unveiled a digital-based logistics support framework. TSP, developed by Hanwha Aerospace, handles legacy manual tasks—from parts quotation requests to ordering and tracking delivery details—within a unified digital environment. By creating a digital catalog of around 700 to 800 core demand components, the platform enables operating nations to quickly verify and order essential parts information.

Hanwha Aerospace is also extending the K9 User Club collaboration model to the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system. At the Chunmoo User Workshop held on the 3rd as a side event of the K9 User Club, around 40 officials from operating countries including South Korea, Poland, Estonia, and Norway gathered to exchange operational experiences regarding fielding, maintenance, training, and parts management.

Beginning with this workshop, the company plans to hold the first official Chunmoo User Club in South Korea in 2027. Next year's K9 User Club event will be held in Australia.

Bae Jin-gyu, head of Hanwha Aerospace's MRO business division, stated, "The K9 User Club has established itself as a global cooperative platform where K9-operating nations worldwide share practical operational experience and know-how while jointly discussing pathways for the continued advancement of the K9. Through digital and AI-driven logistics support innovation, we will continue to elevate the operational efficiency and reliability of the K9 across its entire lifecycle."

                                                                                                            Kim Han-seul