The ceremony was attended by senior Romanian officials including Presidential Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, Vice Prime Minister Barna Tanczos, Economy Minister Ambrozie-Irineu Darău and Dâmbovița County Council President Corneliu Ştefan, as well as Yong-chul Lee, Minister of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Hanwha Aerospace said the project underlines its long-term commitment to Romania and to strengthening Europe’s defence industrial base.
Mr Jae-il Son, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said: “Today’s groundbreaking represents more than the construction of a production facility. It is the foundation for Hanwha Aerospace Romania’s evolution into a truly Romanian defence company, and a strategic platform for long-term defence cooperation between our two countries.” He added: “This will be Hanwha Aerospace’s first production facility in Europe and will grow into a core production site for European land systems. Beyond manufacturing, we are committed to technology transfer and close local cooperation, with the goal of integrating Romania as a key pillar of the global defence supply chain.”
The facility will cover around 181,055 square metres and include advanced assembly lines, performance and validation testing facilities, a 1,751-metre driving test track and dedicated research and development laboratories to support the full lifecycle of land systems. It will initially support local production of the K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer and the K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle, with assembly, integration, testing and lifecycle support, and aims to reach up to 80 percent localisation through Romanian industry participation.
Hanwha Aerospace said the site could later expand to manufacture other advanced land systems, including infantry fighting vehicles, long-range precision strike systems and multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicles. The company estimates that a potential expansion linked to an infantry fighting vehicle programme could create up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs, strengthening Romania’s defence industrial base and positioning the country as a producer and exporter within Europe’s defence ecosystem.
The company said it is working with more than 30 Romanian partners as part of its localisation strategy and plans to integrate them into its global supply chain through technology transfer and skills development. Son said: “Hanwha Aerospace is committed to working alongside Romania so that it can grow not only as a buyer, but as a producer, seller, and exporter within the global defence market. ‘Made in Romania’ will be at the heart of our approach.”
Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with Romania in July 2024 to supply 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, making Romania the tenth member of the K9 User Club and the sixth NATO country to operate the 155mm/52-calibre K9 system. Established in 2025, Hanwha Aerospace Romania is the Romanian subsidiary of the South Korean group and is focused on long-term industrial cooperation, localisation and defence capability development in Romania and across Europe.
