EDEX 2025: Egypt Reveals Full K9 Artillery Battery With K10 and K11 in Major Modernization Step.

Egypt displayed a full K9A1EGY artillery battery at EDEX 2025, marking the most visible milestone yet in its multibillion-dollar deal with South Korea. The program strengthens Egyptian long-range firepower and supports a major domestic push to localize advanced defense production.

Egypt’s artillery modernization plan moved from contract to real hardware at EDEX 2025 in Cairo, where a complete K9A1EGY battery appeared publicly for the first time. The display, which included six howitzers supported by K10 ammunition vehicles and the Egypt-specific K11 fire direction platform, reflects what officials describe as steady progress on a 1.6 to 1.7 billion dollar package signed in 2022. The program blends imported systems with extensive assembly at Military Factory 200, a structure that Egyptian planners say is designed to build long-term industrial capacity rather than simply buy foreign guns.
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A full Egyptian K9A1 artillery battery with six K9 howitzers, supported by K10 resupply and K11 fire direction vehicles, displayed at EDEX 2025 in Cairo, showcasing Egypt’s expanding partnership with Hanwha Aerospace and its modernization of long-range fire support capabilities (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

The Egyptian K9A1 EGY retains the core architecture of the Korean K9 Thunder, a 155 mm, 52 calibre tracked howitzer that carries 48 rounds and can deliver three shells in 15 seconds, six to eight rounds per minute in intense fire, then two to three for sustained missions. With standard NATO ammunition, it reaches about 30 to 40 km, while base bleed and rocket-assisted projectiles push ranges beyond 50 km. The 47-ton chassis uses a 1,000 hp diesel engine and hydropneumatic suspension, giving a top speed of around 67 km per hour and genuine cross-country mobility suited to Sinai and Western Desert terrain.

Behind the guns, the K10 ammunition resupply vehicle is the quiet enabler of high-tempo fires. Based on the same chassis, it carries up to 104 rounds of 155 mm ammunition and 504 propellant charges and can automatically transfer roughly 10 to 12 rounds per minute under armour through a powered conveyor bridge, matching the K9 rate of fire while keeping crews protected. The K11 fire direction control vehicle, developed specifically for Egypt, also rides on a K9 hull and hosts advanced sensors, communication suites, and digital fire control to coordinate multiple batteries for simultaneous engagements over land or coastal sectors.

Strategically, the artillery package is as much an industrial project as a fire support upgrade. Most K9A1EGYs and associated vehicles will be assembled at Egypt’s state-owned Military Factory 200 near Cairo, with local partners such as Arab International Optronics producing key fire control electronics and a planned localization rate rising above 60 percent over the coming years. This structure embeds South Korean technology into Egypt’s long-standing Abu Zaabal industrial complex and aligns with Cairo’s drive to become a regional artillery hub and exporter.

Operationally, a six-gun K9 battery with dedicated K10 and K11 support gives Egypt a self-contained, fast-moving fires unit able to deploy, compute firing data, and deliver precision salvos within a minute of halting, then displace before counter battery radar can respond. In Sinai, such batteries can overwatch border security operations or reinforce air and missile defense by striking launch sites and assembly areas. Along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts, they offer a flexible tool for coastal defense and denial of amphibious approaches, particularly when linked to UAVs and ground surveillance radars.

In the global market, the K9 family now competes directly with Germany’s PzH 2000, France’s CAESAR, and the U.S. M109A7 Paladin. The PzH 2000 matches K9 in protection and range, reaching up to about 54 km, but is heavier and more expensive. CAESAR offers road mobility and lower operating costs, yet trades away tracked protection. The Paladin, still widely fielded, uses a 39 calibre gun with a shorter effective range, generally around 22 to 30 km, although U.S. industry is now testing 52 calibre upgrades partly in response to systems like the K9. For Egypt, the K9 battery provides a modern, export-proven solution that blends high-end fires with industrial leverage and deepens ties with a rising Asian defense supplier.