The firm-fixed-price agreement has an initial value of $100.3 million and a total cumulative face value of $262.9 million, according to the Army. Awarded competitively under Other Transaction Authority, it covers up to 18 wheeled self-propelled howitzers for prototyping, testing and Soldier experimentation over an estimated four years.
The Mobile Tactical Cannon effort is part of the Army’s long-range fires modernization and continuous transformation initiatives. Soldiers will test the prototypes under realistic combat conditions and assess their performance, reliability and supportability before senior leaders decide on future fielding.
If approved for fielding, the MTC would replace M777 towed artillery systems in selected Army formations. The service said the change would increase mobility, lethality, reliability and survivability on a battlefield where artillery units face growing exposure to sensors and counterfire.
“We’re honored that the U.S. Army has selected Hanwha’s K9 Mobile Howitzer to fulfill its Mobile Tactical Cannon requirement. The K9MH is the total artillery solution and will be the centerpiece of Army Fires’ transformation into a more modern, more lethal force,” said Mike Smith, Hanwha Defense USA COO and President of Land Systems.
Hanwha said the K9MH is a wheeled variant of its K9 artillery family and is compatible with the Army’s full suite of munitions. More than 2,500 K9 howitzers are already fielded globally, with nearly a dozen allied countries participating in the platform’s wider industrial network and supply chain.
The Army selected Hanwha after market research and several industry demonstration events in the United States and overseas. The service said the process showed that multiple companies could offer mature mobile artillery platforms, allowing it to move proven systems quickly into operational experimentation.
Hanwha is also building a U.S. industrial base around the K9 family, starting with a new integration and test site in Opelika, Alabama. The company has signed a three-year lease for the facility as the first phase of a broader localization strategy for artillery production and support.
“We’re focused on creating a U.S.-anchored K9 Mobile Howitzer manufacturing network—with Opelika, Alabama, as the current phase I launch point—that can deliver advanced Mobile Tactical Cannons at the speed and scale the U.S. Army needs,” said Jason Pak, Hanwha Defense USA Head of Land Systems – Artillery. The company said it will continue evaluating additional locations and production phases as its U.S. footprint expands.
Hanwha plans to draw on its experience localizing K9 programs in Australia, Egypt, Poland and Romania while developing U.S. suppliers and workforce capacity. “Localization is central to Hanwha’s global business model, leveraging our global leading industrial technology and process in Korea to create sovereign industrial strength in the U.S., whether it be in shipbuilding, munitions or combat vehicles,” said Michael Coulter, Hanwha Defense USA CEO.
Data and Soldier feedback gathered during the prototype program will inform the Army’s decisions on whether and how to field the Mobile Tactical Cannon. For Hanwha, the award provides an entry into a major U.S. Army artillery modernization effort while giving the company time to establish the domestic production and support network needed for any follow-on procurement.
