Hanwha Aerospace is gearing up to showcase its advanced defense technologies at DSEI 2023, taking place from September 12th to 15th at ExCel, London.
During the event, Hanwha Aerospace plans to unveil the K9A2 Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) platform, equipped with the Composite Rubber Track (CRT) developed by Soucy Defense. This represents a significant milestone in the development of a British variant of the K9A2, tailored to meet the requirements of the UK Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) program.
The K9A2 builds on the successful foundation of the K9A1, which currently holds over 50 percent of the global SPH market, with more than 1,800 platforms already in active service. The K9A2 aims to enhance lethality and survivability, primarily through the incorporation of a fully automated turret and the integration of composite rubber tracks.
“CRT is one of the key innovative technologies to be featured on the British K9A2, enabling greater all-weather terrain accessibility for shoot-and-scoot operations, alongside reduced noise, vibration, maintenance and fuel consumption to enhance operational mobility,” said Simon Humphrey CBE, Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace UK. "CRT is a game changer and makes huge strides in closing the gap between the oft heard Wheels vs. Track polarizing debate.”
Hanwha Aerospace is leading Team Thunder UK, a unique international collaboration comprising accomplished UK defense manufacturers. The team's mission is to develop and supply a cutting-edge mobile fires capability for the British Army in response to its MFP requirements. Notable members of Team Thunder include Lockheed Martin UK, Leonardo UK, Pearson Engineering, Horstman Defence Group, and Soucy Defense.
In a strategic move, Hanwha Defense Australia has also joined Team Thunder to capitalize on synergies and opportunities related to the AS9 Huntsman program and their recent success with the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Given the similarities between the defense needs of the Five Eyes nations, Hanwha aims to leverage the progress made on the LAND 8116 program for the benefit of the MFP initiative.
Hanwha Aerospace intends to expand Team Thunder's reach by involving more UK SMEs and technology companies. This expansion aims to generate direct economic benefits for the UK, with a commitment to ensuring that at least 50 percent of the manufacturing for the British K9A2 version takes place within the UK industry.
“Team Thunder is committed to creating a highly skilled industrial base by generating hundreds of brand-new specialist jobs in the supply chain as well as local training programmes for graduates and apprentices,” said Sun Wi, Director of Hanwha Aerospace’s Global Operations Office.
“The purchase of K9A2 will lead to export work for Team Thunder in the UK, as K9 users such as Filnland, Norway and Estonia will need to upgrade to A2 standard and beyond with significant opportunities for export and cost sharing across the user base,” Sun added.
