Hanwha Aerospace signs $253.6 million deal to export K9 howitzer to India

Seoul/New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace said on Thursday it has signed a 371.4 billion-won ($253.6 million) deal to export homegrown K9 self-propelled howitzers to India.

Under the agreement, the company will deliver the K9 howitzers to the Indian Army by September 2030, in cooperation with Mumbai-based company Larsen & Toubro, according to Hanwha Aerospace.

The deal aligns with India's ongoing efforts to modernize its military, the company added, reports Yonhap news agency.

This agreement follows a 2017 contract, under which Hanwha supplied 372.7 billion won worth of K9 howitzers to India by 2020.

Hanwha Aerospace said this additional contract reflects the K9's proven reliability in meeting the Indian Army's operational needs.

The company's strong performance under the first contract also helped solidify its reputation as a trusted partner in India's defence market, it added.

Hanwha Aerospace expects the latest deal to further expand sales of the K9 howitzer beyond Europe and into Asia. The K9 has already been adopted by countries such as Romania and Poland, said the report.

"We will further enhance our cooperation with countries in Asia, including India, by leveraging the K9's outstanding performance and our proven delivery record," said Hanwha Aerospace Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Son Jae-il.

Late last month, the government signed two contracts worth Rs 62,700 crore with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) -- Prachand. The first contract is for supply of 66 LCHs to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and second is for supply of 90 LCHs to the Indian Army, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The supply of these helicopters will commence from the third year and will be spread over the next five years. LCH is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter having a capability of operating at an altitude of over 5,000 metres.

--IANS

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