Hanwha sets sights on Army’s tracked howitzer program after victory in wheeled competition

WASHINGTON — Weeks after the Army tapped Hanwha Defense USA for its wheeled self-propelled howitzer modernization program, the company now plans to enter the service’s new competition for a tracked variant. 

“I think it’s a must. I mean, when we had early conversations with the Army, we actually thought the Army might be procuring tracked [variants] first,” Mike Smith, Hanwha USA’s COO and president of Land Systems, told reporters Tuesday. 

Hanwha USA is looking at a “menu of options” for the competition — namely either its K9A1 or K9A2 tracked vehicles, Smith said. While he noted that the K9A1 is widely available and the “most cost-effective” option, the newer K9A2 variant features more modern capabilities.

According to Hanwha’s website, the K9A1 variant has a 155mm and 52-caliber cannon with a range of over 40 kilometers. At full capacity, it can fire six to eight rounds per minute for three minutes.

The K9A2 is the company’s newer tracked variant. The howitzer has the same drive power as the K9A1, but features a fully automated turret capable of firing nine to 10 rounds per minute. The K9A2 also has two “independent” loading arms for projectiles and propellants, as well as a new autoloader system to increase the rate of fire and reduce the number of crew members needed.

The service recently awarded Hanwha $233 million for the accelerated delivery of six wheeled prototype howitzers, with an option for an additional 12. Both new wheeled and tracked variants are intended to replace the Army’s towed M777 and self-propelled M109A7s howitzers, the latter of which was originally fielded in the 1960s.

Smith’s comments come after the Army’s Program Acquisition Executive for Fires posted a request for information (RFI) on Sept. 30 seeking tracked howitzers and a coinciding resupply vehicle. The solicitation asked vendors for potential production lead times, maximum production capability, strategies to onshore US production if the vendor’s facilities are abroad and more. 

Smith said the company currently has several variants of both vehicles being sold to other land forces, which could make the production lead time for the Army shorter if the service selects one of Hanwha’s tracked variants. However, he didn’t reveal what that lead time would look like. 

The howitzers are “completely tailorable,” he added, meaning the company can make small tweaks to its vehicles if needed in order to meet the Army’s formal requirements.

A spokesperson from PAE Fires told Breaking Defense earlier this month that the Army is pursuing separate tracked and wheeled howitzers because the two variants “address different operational requirements and formations.”

The spokesperson said the wheeled variant is intended to provide more mobility, survivability and “responsiveness” for formations with towed artillery, while the tracked variant is better suited “for employment” with armored formations.

Traditionally, wheeled vehicles are also lighter and best suited to driving on roads. Tracked vehicles often feature heavier chassis that can more easily maneuver in muddy or rougher environmental conditions.