South Korea completes delivery of 212 K9 howitzers to Poland under first contract.

South Korea has completed delivery of 212 K9A1 Thunder 155 mm self-propelled howitzers under its first executive contract with Poland, finalized with the handover of the last 12 systems on December 16, 2025.

On December 16, 2025, Poland's 16th Mechanized Division announced the handover of the final 12 K9 howitzers to the 1st Masurian Artillery Brigade, completing the deliveries under the first executive contract for the K9A1 Thunder. The milestone concludes a 212-unit procurement from South Korea signed in August 2022 and implemented under Poland’s post-2022 accelerated artillery acquisition program.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The latest deliveries originate from a broader framework agreement between the two countries signed in July 2022 that covers up to 672 K9A1 and K9PL self-propelled howitzers, forming one of the largest artillery procurement programs in Europe. (Picture source: 1 Mazurska Brygada)

The first executive contract, signed on August 26, 2022, was valued at $2.4 billion and covered 212 units, including ammunition, logistics support, training packages, and simulator-based instruction for Polish crews. To accelerate fielding, the first 48 howitzers were refurbished K9 Thunder systems upgraded to the K9A1 standard and sourced from the South Korean Army stocks as interim gap filler vehicles, allowing Poland to stand up operational units while new production continued. South Korea planned to offset these transfers by replenishing its own inventory with newly built systems, ensuring continuity on both sides. Financing for this first contract relied heavily on external loans, which covered roughly 70% of the overall cost associated with multiple South Korean defense acquisitions signed in the same period.

From the outset, the Polish K9 program was structured around integration with Polish command, control, and fire support architecture rather than fielding the howitzers as standalone platforms. All Batch I systems were planned to operate with the Polish Topaz automated fire control system and national communications networks, enabling seamless integration with Polish command vehicles and higher-echelon artillery coordination. A separate $139.5 million agreement, signed in September 2022, covered the installation of Polish communications equipment on all Batch I vehicles, reinforcing national interoperability standards. Key milestones followed in quick succession, with the rollout of the first 24 gap filler K9A1 vehicles in October 2022, a delivery ceremony in December 2022, and the first operational handover to the 1st Masurian Artillery Brigade later that month. Live-fire activity began in early 2023, while construction of the first Polish-adapted K9PL vehicle started in mid-2023, highlighting the transition from urgent acquisition to long-term customization.

As deliveries progressed, K9 howitzers were distributed across multiple formations to broaden Poland’s artillery base. By June 2024, at least 72 K9s were in service across three battalions, including units in the 1st Masurian Artillery Brigade, the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade, and the 18th Artillery Regiment. This expansion took place alongside continued production of the domestically built AHS Krab, though limitations in Krab output capacity meant that the K9 family became the primary means of quickly scaling Poland's artillery strength. The broader procurement context also included parallel acquisitions from South Korea, such as K2 main battle tanks, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, and FA-50 light attack aircraft, forming a coordinated effort to modernize land and air forces while standardizing logistics, training, and ammunition supply chains across several capability areas.

With the first executive contract completed, Poland has shifted focus to a second executive contract signed on December 1, 2023, valued at $2.6 billion and covering an additional 152 K9 howitzers scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2027. This second agreement includes six additional K9A1s, delivered in 2025, and 146 K9PL howitzers, delivered from 2026 onward, alongside integrated logistics support and 155 mm ammunition. Unlike the earlier contract, this second deal does not rely on external loans and places greater emphasis on technology transfer, enabling Poland to manufacture selected K9 components and 155 mm ammunition domestically. A parallel framework agreement for auxiliary vehicles ensures that Polish-built support vehicles accompany the K9PL fleet rather than imported South Korean ones. The Batch II K9PL configuration will add multiple subsystems, including the Obra-3 laser warning system, an improved fire suppression, air filtration and conditioning, smoke grenade launchers, and an auxiliary power unit relocated into the chassis.

Industrial cooperation linked to the K9 program has expanded alongside deliveries, reinforcing Poland’s domestic defense manufacturing base. Hanwha Aerospace opened a European office in Warsaw in April 2024 and initiated cooperation with Huta Stalowa Wola to improve operational and maintenance commonality between the K9 and the Krab, which share related chassis concepts. Further agreements outlined technology transfer for main gun repair capabilities and potential future development paths linked to K9A2 and K9A3 variants. Plans were also announced to establish propellant production capacity in Poland to support sustained 155 mm ammunition output. In late 2024, Polish defense companies received contracts valued at PLN 8 billion to deliver more than 250 support vehicles with training and logistics packages for the K9 program, ensuring that the howitzers are deployed with full operational enablers.

The K9 Thunder is a tracked 155 mm self-propelled howitzer armed with a 52-caliber gun and a 12.7 mm machine gun, powered by a 1,000 hp diesel engine coupled to an automatic transmission. The howitzer reaches speeds of about 67 km/h, has an operational range of around 480 km, and a combat weight of roughly 47 tonnes, with a five-person crew for the K9A1 configuration. Maximum firing range reaches approximately 40 km with standard ammunition and exceeds 50 km with rocket-assisted projectiles. At the time of completion of the first contract, Poland’s artillery inventory comprised 218 K9A1 systems from the first contract plus six K9A1 from the second contract, alongside 58 AHS Krab howitzers remaining from 266 acquired after 54 were transferred to Ukraine, for a total of 276 tracked 155 mm systems in service. Long-term planning points toward a combined fleet of 576 Krab and K9A1 or K9PL howitzers, supported by expanded domestic production of 155 mm ammunition to sustain high-intensity operations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.