Sweden orders $110M Hanwha Modular Charge Systems for its Archer 155mm howitzers.

Hanwha Aerospace has secured a 110 million dollar order from Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration for 155 mm Modular Charge Systems under a new three-year framework. The agreement strengthens Nordic artillery readiness and underscores Europe’s growing reliance on South Korean defense suppliers.

Hanwha Aerospace announced on October 15, 2025, that the company has signed a $110 million call-off under a new three-year framework agreement with Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration to supply 155 mm Modular Charge Systems for the Swedish Army artillery arm. The announcement, made during the AUSA 2025 meeting in Washington, confirms a second tranche of deliveries after an initial agreement last year and was echoed by European Defence Review, which reported the signing took place with senior representatives from both sides in attendance. The propelling charges will feed Sweden’s 155 mm inventory, notably the Archer L/52 wheeled howitzer, and are certified to NATO standards for broad interoperability across allied gun systems.
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Hanwha 155 mm Modular Charge System is a variable combustible charges that improve range, first-shot accuracy and sustained high-tempo fire for Archer howitzers (Picture source: UK MoD).

Hanwha’s MCS is a bi-modular, combustible-case propellant family qualified to the NATO Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding for 39 and 52 caliber 155 mm guns. Company data references HW50 and HW70 modules validated with NATO-standard L15 ammunition, ensuring safety and performance across temperature bands and gun types. In practical terms, gunners stack discrete modules to tailor muzzle velocity for each mission profile rather than relying on fixed bag charges, tightening dispersion at range and protecting barrels through optimized pressure curves.

For Sweden, the technical fit is straightforward. Archer’s automated magazine carries projectiles alongside modular charges and was engineered for NATO-compliant MCS families like Hanwha’s and Bofors’ Uniflex 2IM. The howitzer’s digital fire control already computes the exact charge increment for range and trajectory, enabling multiple-round simultaneous impact missions and swift retargeting without exposing crews. By pairing a precise, temperature-stable MCS with Archer’s autoloader and 52 caliber tube, Stockholm preserves full access to extended-range projectiles and precision rounds that push beyond 40 to 50 km, depending on the munition.

The charge system is the engine room of any 155 mm battery. An assured pipeline of modular propellant increases Sweden’s sustained rate of fire and survivability. Batteries can shoot fewer rounds per effect because velocity can be tuned to the exact ballistic solution, shortening time on the gun line. Consistent module performance across cold Nordic winters and summer heat tightens first-salvo accuracy and supports complex fire plans such as coordinated counter-battery and time-on-target strikes. Because MCS packaging is robust and combustible, logistics footprints improve, handling risks drop, and ammunition resupply becomes more predictable during high-tempo operations. In a crisis, those seemingly mundane advantages translate into more fire missions completed with fewer trucks and fewer minutes exposed to enemy sensors.

The contract also speaks to Europe’s evolving defense economy. A European Union member turning to a South Korean supplier for critical artillery energetics reflects a pragmatic diversification strategy shaped by wartime readiness demand and Western powder bottlenecks. Seoul’s industry has scaled quickly to meet NATO-caliber needs, and European buyers have grown comfortable spreading supply chains across the Atlantic and into the Indo-Pacific to hedge against shocks. Sweden gains near-term depth for its artillery arm while keeping options open to absorb further Korean systems that Hanwha is eager to market in Northern Europe, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer and Chunmoo rocket artillery. In the medium term, the deal may also pressure European energetics houses to accelerate capacity expansions and joint ventures to defend market share.