Hanwha Aerospace, a defence, aerospace and industrial company in South Korea, has signed a teaming agreement with UAE-based Generation 5 Holding to collaborate on the manufacture and sale of the K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer across the Middle East market.
A gamer changer in the artillery system, K9 is a 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled howitzer with a firing range of more than 40km. It is operated by ten countries across four continents, said a statement from the Korean group.
On the strategic deal with Generation 5 Holding, Hanwha Aerospace said it is part of the group's strategy to strengthen its position in the Middle East, where it is pursuing local production, maintenance and technology partnerships as a route to regional customers.
Headquartered in Changwon city, Hanwha Aerospace boasts key operations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Its products span the land, sea, air and space domains, including artillery systems, armoured vehicles, precision-guided munitions, aircraft engines, satellites and space launch vehicles.
In-country manufacture and lifecycle support are intended to build local industrial capability and to provide support closer to where the systems operate, it stated.
The agreement was signed by IL Sung, the Head of Middle East and North Africa (Mena) operations at Hanwha Aerospace, and Dr Khalifa Murad Alblooshi, the Managing Director of Generation 5 Holding, on the sidelines of the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition which concluded yesterday (June 19) in Paris.
"The Middle East is a priority market for Hanwha Aerospace, and building strong partnerships with local industry is central to how we are growing our presence in the region," remarked IL Sung.
"By manufacturing and supporting the K9 locally, we aim to strengthen our partners’ defence sovereignty and to offer regional customers a capable artillery system with support close to where it operates," he stated.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Generation 5 Holding is a defence and technology company that operates across major defence domains including aerospace, land and naval systems. Under the agreement, the Emirati group will support local production and market access for the K9.
Dr Alblooshi said the agreement with Hanwha Aerospace reflects the Emirati group's commitment to developing advanced industrial capabilities through strong partnerships and technology transfer, enhancing the competitiveness of its products and supporting the growth of the national defence industry ecosystem.
"By combining our strengths in manufacturing and our integrated industrial capabilities, we are well positioned to develop, manufacture, and deliver high-performance Howitzer systems to our customers, in line with our strategy to transfer and localize advanced defense manufacturing technologies," he stated.
"We look forward to building a successful partnership with Hanwha Aerospace, one that advances our shared interests and meets users’ requirements, both now and in the future, according to the highest international standards," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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