The U.S. Army selected Hanwha to develop a new mobile 155 mm gun
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Army signed an agreement with Hanwha to supply 18 prototypes of a new mobile artillery system worth up to $262 million. The system is intended to replace the outdated M777 towed howitzers.
The U.S. Army has selected the U.S. subsidiary of South Korea’s Hanwha Defense to supply prototypes of a new mobile artillery system. Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
Under the agreement, worth up to $262 million, the company is to produce 18 prototypes. In the future, the program could move to full-scale production of a self-propelled 155-mm artillery system intended to replace the outdated M777 towed howitzers.
Hanwha won the competition, which also included Rheinmetall, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Elbit Systems. In recent years, the company has been actively expanding its presence in the U.S. defense industry, investing in artillery, ammunition, and shipbuilding production.
In 2024, Hanwha acquired a shipyard in Philadelphia and announced plans to invest $5 billion in it. The company is also developing a U.S. supply chain for artillery systems and establishing an integration and testing center in Alabama.
The decision was made after years of efforts by the U.S. Army to find a mobile 155-mm system capable of firing rapidly, changing positions, and surviving on the modern battlefield. The need for such equipment intensified after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, which demonstrated the vulnerability of towed artillery.
The prototype contract is expected to become the first stage of a program to create a new mobile gun for the U.S. Army.