K239 Chunmoo News

KDReview's watchlist for the fourth quarter of 2026. Malaysia's first two FA-50M jets are due at Kuantan Air Base in October, with the 18-aircraft order completing by March 2028. Iraq's review of up to 250 K2 tanks (about $6.5 billion) remained unsigned as of July, with analysts expecting a 2026 signature. Romania's 216-tank tender awaits a localization study. Peru's K2 and K808 implementing contract is suspended over a $1.5 billion advance payment. Indonesia's 16 KF-21s and the Philippines' two submarines are unsigned. In Saudi Arabia, Hanwha Defense Arabia is targeting a roughly KRW 15 trillion National Guard land-forces modernization with K9 and Chunmoo, while Hanwha Ocean weighs four to six submarines and five frigates. Thailand's OCEAN-40F frigate award to Hanwha Ocean faces rival complaints before a final contract. On the calendar: Armed Forces Day on October 1 at Gyeryongdae with AI-enabled weapons on display and no parade, and the first K-DEX on December 8 to 11 at KINTEX, where eleven countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, India, Norway, Finland, and Latvia will brief on procurement.

Hanwha and UAE state defense group EDGE signed a strategic term sheet at EDGE headquarters in Abu Dhabi on September 16, 2026, setting the direction for cooperation on an integrated air defense network for the United Arab Emirates. Hanwha Systems CEO Yang Ki-won and EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar signed the document, which covers the Korean L-SAM long-range surface-to-air missile system, additional M-SAM (Cheongung-II) medium-range capability, counter-drone defenses, and the K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher. Subject to government approvals, the two sides will explore a joint venture in the UAE plus local production and technology transfer. No value was disclosed and the term sheet is not a procurement contract; it builds on the Korea-UAE defense framework agreed in February 2026 and on the 2022 M-SAM sale worth about $3.5 billion. Demand is driven by the 2026 Iranian missile and drone campaign against the UAE, during which Cheongung-II recorded its first combat intercepts.

Hanwha Aerospace signed a EUR 411.8 million (640 billion won, ~$477 million) contract with Croatia's Ministry of Defence on September 10, 2026 for 18 K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, ammunition carriers, fire direction command vehicles, guided rockets across short, medium, and long ranges, training, and lifecycle support, with deliveries through 2030. The ceremony at the Croatian Prime Minister's office was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Deputy PM and Defence Minister Ivan Anusic, ROK Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol, and Hanwha Aerospace business head Billy Boo-hwan Lee; the two governments also signed a defense-partnership MOU creating a regular working-level dialogue. Croatia's total procurement comes to EUR 435.2 million excluding VAT, as Poland's WB Electronics was contracted separately to deliver and integrate the TOPAZ battlefield management system, keeping the Croatian configuration interoperable with Poland's Homar-K, and Anusic said Croatian firm Koncar will take part in implementation. The rockets, ranging from the 80 km CGR-080 to the 290 km CTM-290, replace Soviet-era M92 Vulkan and BM-21 Grad launchers and sit alongside Croatia's separate order for eight HIMARS. Plenkovic called it "one of the largest investments in the equipment and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces." Croatia becomes the fourth European Chunmoo customer after Poland, Estonia, and Norway, and DAPA said it expects the deal to grow into industrial cooperation and follow-on logistics support.

Hanwha Aerospace opened the fifth K9 User Club in Tartu, Estonia on September 2, 2026, drawing about 200 military and industry representatives from seven K9 operator nations (Korea, Estonia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Romania, and Australia) plus observers from Spain and Sweden, the largest turnout to date. Hanwha presented a next-generation operating concept in which VTOL fire-guidance drones detect and track targets, generate firing coordinates for the K9, and then assess impact and battle damage, shortening the sensor-to-shooter loop and reducing reliance on exposed forward observers. The company also showed a digital logistics system cataloguing 700-800 key parts with demand forecasting, to be linked to a Polish spares warehouse. At a Chunmoo user workshop on the sidelines, Hanwha announced the first official Chunmoo User Club will be held in Korea in 2027, and Australia will host the next K9 User Club the same year. Hanwha said it will focus new K9 sales on Western European armies modernizing aging artillery, following the Spain contract that took the K9 operator base to 11 countries.

Hanwha Aerospace reported record second-quarter results on July 31, with consolidated operating profit of 1.37 trillion won (~$951 million) — the first time its quarterly operating profit surpassed 1 trillion won — on sales of 9.29 trillion won, up 47% year-on-year. The land systems division earned 533 billion won in operating profit on steady K9 and Chunmoo deliveries at home and abroad, while Hanwha Ocean posted its strongest quarter since joining the group (5.44 trillion won in sales, 736.1 billion won operating profit, up 98%) and Hanwha Systems chipped in a record 103.7 billion won. Shares rallied on the results, which cement Hanwha Aerospace's position as the earnings engine of Korea's defense export boom.

Korea's record defense export backlog is straining production capacity, with DAPA acknowledging temporary bottlenecks on export lines including the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K239 Chunmoo MLRS, aggravated by the country's 52-hour workweek and overtime restrictions. Manufacturers warn that the labor-hour cap complicates efforts to accelerate deliveries against a rapidly growing order book, projected at more than $27 billion in exports for 2026. The report is a caution flag on delivery timelines rather than a contract event.

Hanwha Aerospace and French defense firm Thales signed an MOU at Eurosatory 2026 on June 17 to integrate Chunmoo guided missiles with Thales X-Fire launcher platforms. The agreement covers three missile types: the CGR-080 guided rocket (80 km range, available now), the CTM-MR medium-range missile (~160 km), and the CTM-290 tactical ballistic missile (up to 290 km). The partnership positions Chunmoo technology for broader European adoption through France's established defense industrial base.

Hanwha Aerospace unveiled the Striker-S Medium Uncrewed Surface Vessel (MUSV) at Eurosatory 2026 on June 15. The 35-meter, 250-ton unmanned missile vessel integrates the Chunmoo rocket launcher for surface-to-surface and surface-to-ground naval strike missions using coordinated autonomous swarm tactics. The vessel features a 6-meter beam, a 20-foot container payload module rated at 10 tons, and includes counter-UAS capability for self-defense against enemy reconnaissance drones and loitering munitions.

Poland concluded approximately 40 defense contracts worth over 120 billion zloty ($33 billion) in a single day, becoming the first EU nation to tap the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) low-interest defense loan program. Korean weapons feature prominently including the Homar-K (Chunmoo) multiple rocket launcher system, K9PL self-propelled howitzer variants, and associated support vehicles. Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz called it an "absolutely crucial day" and a world record for contracts signed in a single day.

An explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility on June 1 killed five workers and injured two during a cleaning operation involving solid rocket propellant residue. The Daejeon plant — a national high-security defense facility responsible for Chunmoo MLRS, L-SAM, and precision-guided munitions — was partially shut down under a suspension order. CEO Sohn Jae-il was booked under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and authorities are considering booking Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan. The incident raises questions about safety practices at Korea's largest defense manufacturer.

Hanwha Aerospace is in active talks with Germany, the UK and other European nations for new weapons deals, capitalizing on surging global arms spending. Global CSO Alex Wong disclosed at the Shangri-La Dialogue that Hanwha has established a German subsidiary in Berlin and is reviewing plans to build a Chunmoo manufacturing facility in eastern Germany. The company is pursuing European partnerships beyond existing customers Poland and Romania, covering procurement, local production, and workforce development.

The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments and KOTRA signed a government-to-government follow-on contract for three additional K239 Chunmoo MLRS launchers and support equipment, just five months after the initial €290M deal for six launchers in December 2025. Delivery is scheduled by end of 2027, bringing Estonia's total Chunmoo fleet to nine systems. The rapid re-order reflects strong confidence in Korean weapons systems proven in extreme cold conditions. Estonia has operated K9 self-propelled howitzers since 2020.

Hanwha Aerospace showcased its L-SAM long-range surface-to-air missile system and Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher at the Brussels European Defence Exhibition (BEDEX) 2026 from March 12-14, marking the L-SAM's first appearance at a European defense show. The L-SAM intercepts ballistic missiles at altitudes above 40 km using hit-to-kill technology, with mass production having begun in 2025. Hanwha also displayed the Chunmoo launcher alongside four types of guided missiles with ranges from 80 km to 290 km.

Hanwha Aerospace announced a proposed EUR 100 million ($115.5M) investment in Estonia covering an ammunition plant, a military equipment maintenance and repair center, and R&D cooperation with Estonian companies; Estonian officials said it remains an offer with negotiations ongoing. The investment would deepen Hanwha's footprint on NATO's northeastern flank following the December 2025 Estonian Chunmoo contract.

The French Army is evaluating the K239 Chunmoo as a temporary long-range strike solution while developing its own FLP-T system (not expected before 2030). French think tank IFRI recommended the Chunmoo over alternatives including HIMARS. A French parliamentary committee report earlier called buying HIMARS geopolitically "risky" and pointed to the industrial cooperation on systems and ammunition that the Korean system offered Poland.

Hanwha Aerospace broke ground on its first European production site, the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) Europe, in Petrești, Romania. The facility will initially produce K9 howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, with potential to expand to infantry fighting vehicles, long-range precision strike systems and unmanned ground vehicles.

Norway selected Hanwha's K239 Chunmoo over the US HIMARS system in a NOK 19 billion (~$2 billion) deal for 16 launchers and missiles with range up to 500 km. The selection over a US system is a major validation of Korean MLRS technology.

Hanwha Aerospace signed a KRW 5.6 trillion (~$4.1 billion) third execution contract with Poland for Chunmoo guided missiles (CGR-080). The missiles will be produced at a dedicated facility in Poland through a Korea-Poland joint venture, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2030; Poland fields the Chunmoo under its Homar-K program.

Norway has selected the K239 Chunmoo as its new multiple launch rocket system, becoming the third European customer after Poland and Romania. The deal builds on Norway's existing use of K9 VIDAR howitzers.

Romania has signed a contract for the K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system, becoming the second European customer after Poland. The deal includes launchers and CTM-290 guided missiles.