The Egyptian military has taken delivery of its first K9 155 mm self-propelled howitzers from South Korea’s Hanwha, along with ammunition and fire control vehicles.
Six K9A1EGY howitzers, a K10A1EGY ammunition resupply vehicle, and a K11 fire-control vehicle were displayed at the EDEX 2025 defence exhibition in Cairo this week, Janes reports.
The publication noted the Egyptian Ministry of Defence had released a video on the first day of EDEX showing six K9s and a K10 carrying Egyptian flags as they manoeuvred and fired in desert terrain. The video also showed K9 components being assembled in an Egyptian factory.
In February 2022 Egypt signed a $1.66 billion deal for the procurement of around 216 K9 self-propelled howitzers, an undisclosed number K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, and 51 K11 fire direction control vehicles. Production is being split between Hanwha Defence and Egypt’s state-run Military Factory 200 through technology transfer.
Both the Egyptian Army and Navy will be receiving the self-propelled howitzers. The Egyptian Navy will use the K9 as an anti-access/area denial weapon system, and the K9 successfully proved such a capability by hitting targets at sea during tests and evaluations in 2017.
A video on Hanwah’s stand at EDEX said Egyptian K9 production is proceeding gradually in several phases. The hulls and turrets will be initially made in South Korea and assembled in Egypt, which will then produce both locally, with the “in-depth localisation of components” happening in the third phase, Janes reported.
The Egyptians will also initially assemble the gun and gun mount before manufacturing the major components for the armament and finally producing the 52-calibre long barrels for the howitzers.
Developed in 1998 by the state-owned Agency for Defence Development (ADD) and Hanwha, the K9 can fire a range of standard and extended-range munitions. The system can fire its first round within 30 seconds from a stationary position and within 60 seconds while moving, with a burst rate of fire from six to eight rounds per minute or 2-3 rounds per minute for an hour. Firing range is 18-50 km depending on ammunition used.
Equipped with a rotating turret that can traverse through a full 360 degrees, the 47-ton vehicle is powered by a 1 000 hp diesel engine, giving a top speed of 67 km/h. It is armoured against 155 mm shell splinters and 14.5 mm armour-piercing shells.
The K10 ammunition resupply vehicle carries a total of 104 rounds and possesses the same mobility as the K9. The K11 fire control vehicle is a new vehicle developed for the Egyptian military. Using the K9 chassis, the command-post vehicle is equipped with a range of high-tech sensor and communication equipment in accordance with operational requirements of the Egyptian Army and Navy.
According to Hanwha, the K9 has been acquired by 10 customers, including six NATO countries – Estonia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Turkey.
