Spain signs Indra–Hanwha deal for K9-based artillery systems

Spain’s Indra Group and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace on March 24 signed a binding agreement in Madrid to jointly develop new tracked self-propelled artillery systems for the Spanish Armed Forces, the companies said.

The agreement focuses on building a new family of land platforms based on Hanwha’s K9 artillery system with integrated Spanish technologies.

The companies said the program is intended to give Spain full design, production and lifecycle control over advanced tracked artillery platforms.

The project will deliver a full system package that includes 128 tracked artillery vehicles, 120 ammunition resupply vehicles, 11 command-and-control vehicles and 21 recovery vehicles. These platforms form part of a Special Modernization Program being developed for the Spanish Armed Forces.

As noted by Indra Group, the agreement also includes a €130 million (€150 million) investment to expand industrial capacity in Spain. The funding will support upgrades to Indra’s facility in Gijón and the construction of an additional integration plant, with the program expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.

“The alliance between two major global defence leaders, Indra and Hanwha, enables us to offer the Spanish Armed Forces real sovereignty and autonomy throughout the life cycle of a new family of land platforms that did not exist until now, and which we are consolidating with the speed required in the current context,” said Ángel Escribano, chairman of Indra Group.

José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of Indra Group, said the company is working to position Spanish industry in major European defense programs. “Indra, in its role as a driving force of the Spanish economy, is committed to the objective of positioning Spanish industry at the highest level, delivering the most advanced systems required by today’s Armed Forces, while leading—together with our partners—the major European defence programs now being launched.”

Hanwha Aerospace confirmed that the program will build on its K9 artillery platform, which is already in service with several NATO countries. Jaeil Son, president and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said, “We are proud to partner with Indra to support Spain’s sovereign defence capabilities. Building on the world’s most reliable K9 platform, this collaboration brings together our advanced artillery expertise with Indra’s industrial strengths to deliver a reliable, future-oriented solution for the Spanish Armed Forces.”

Under the agreement, Indra will manufacture the vehicle hulls in Spain and integrate its own systems, including mission control, battlefield management, communications and situational awareness technologies. The company said it will also design and produce command post systems and integrate protection features such as fire suppression and NBC systems.

Technically, the program combines a proven tracked artillery chassis with domestically developed electronic and command systems. The K9 platform provides the base for long-range indirect fire capability, while Indra’s systems handle command, control, coordination and real-time data exchange across the battlefield.

This approach allows Spain to retain control over core systems while leveraging an established artillery platform already adopted by NATO operators. Countries including Norway, Poland, Finland, Romania and Estonia have fielded variants of the K9 system, according to the companies.

The planned vehicles are expected to feature high levels of automation, long-range precision fire capability and reduced crew requirements. These features align with broader trends in artillery modernization, where automation and digital integration are used to improve response time and coordination between units.