South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace has signed an export agreement with Vietnam for its K9 self-propelled howitzers.
It marks South Korea’s first arms export to Vietnam, following earlier donations of decommissioned patrol ships.
Under the $250-million government-to-government deal, Hanwha will supply 20 K9s to Vietnam, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing sources.
The Korea Herald reported that delivery will be managed through the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, a state-owned organization, with completion expected by late 2025.
The deal follows Vietnamese President To Lam’s recent state visit to Seoul, during which the two nations agreed to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.
With the procurement, Vietnam becomes the 11th customer of the 155mm tracked howitzer, joining established users such as India, Australia, Romania, Poland, Finland, Turkey, Egypt, Estonia, Norway, and South Korea.
Along with India, Vietnam is the only country in the group with historically strong defense ties to Russia, having sourced 80 percent of its weapons from Moscow between 2000 and 2023, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The howitzer’s blend of firepower and mobility, together with its $12 million price tag, was a decisive factor in securing the agreement.
It can reach 67 kilometers (41 miles) per hour over 360 kilometers (223 miles) and fire high-explosive or guided projectiles up to 50 kilometers (31 miles).
“Exports of weapon systems are generally made to allies or friendly nations, as they foster high-level security cooperation such as interoperability and joint operations beyond the simple transfer of arms,” The Korea Herald quoted director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies at the Seoul-based Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, Ban Kil-joo, as saying.
“Vietnam is a communist country, which makes that level of security cooperation difficult. However, we have found that standalone weapon systems with low interoperability requirements, such as the K9, can still be exported.”
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