Egypt could sign soon an agreement to acquire K9 155mm howitzers from South Korea.

According to information published on the Twitter account of Mahmoud Gamal on December 22, 2021, Egypt could sign soon an agreement for the acquisition of the K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzer manufactured by the South Korean company Hanwha Defense.
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South Korean company Hanwha Defense displays an Egyptian variant of the K9, the K9EGY at the EDEX defense exhibition in Egypt, December 2021. (Picture source Army Recognition)

During the Egypt Defense Exhibition EDEX, which was held in Cairo from 29 November to 2 December 2021, the South Korean company Hanwha Defense exhibited a special version of its K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzer under a special version dubbed K9EGY with a desert scheme.

According to open sources information, In 2010, K9 was evaluated by the Egyptian military to replace its aging artillery fleet. However, the deal was delayed as the Egyptian government requested a reduction on technology transfer fees, which the Korean government had the ownership, not the company.

Since 2017, the South Korean company Hanwha Defense is in negotiations for the sale of the K9 Thunder howitzers. A K9 howitzer was sent to Egypt in July and performed test-firing at a range located at west of Cairo in August. K9 Thunder will be competing against four other artillery systems from France, Russia, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

During the edition 2021 of Egypt Defense Exhibition EDEX, it was announced that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed the possibility to acquire the K9 that could be produced under license in Egypt.

The K9 is one of the most popular self-propelled howitzers in the world, with some 1,700 units of the K9 are in service with seven countries including South Korea, Turkey, India, Poland, Finland, Norway, and Estonia. Recently, Hanwha Defense Australia has signed a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia for the supply of its Huntsman AS9 self-propelled artillery system to Australia, a South Korean K9 Thunder 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer tailored for the Australian army.

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and is now manufactured by Hanwha Defense. The first K9 was delivered on 17 December 1999 and was fielded to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.

The main armament of the K9 Thunder consists of a 155 mm/52 caliber ordnance with a maximum firing range of 40 km. A total of 48 projectiles and their associated charges are carried for ready use. The maximum range of fire is 30 km with standard HE projectile and 40 km with a rocket-assisted projectile.