Spain has signed a contract with the Republic of Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace for the acquisition of K9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and accompanying K10 ammunition resupply vehicles. The agreement signed on 31 August 2026 will be executed through a partnership with Indra Sistemas, Spain’s state-owned defence electronics company.
The program to modernise Spanish artillery is expected to include 128 K9 tracked howitzers and 120 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles. An additional twenty-one recovery vehicles and eleven command-and-control vehicles based on the K9 chassis may also be included.
The contract follows a March 2026 memorandum of understanding between Indra and Hanwha, signed in March, to jointly develop a new family of tracked artillery vehicles for the Spanish Armed Forces based on the K9 platform. The Spanish Army artillery modernisation was budgeted at €4.55 billion ($5.3 billion).
Much of the direct howitzer manufacturing will occur at Indra’s facilities in Gijón, northern Spain. The Spanish arrangement includes significant industrial transfer being negotiated. Indra will design and manufacture the vehicle hulls at its Gijón plant, retaining design authority over this portion. Its effort will encompass building the systems, identifying and incorporating local components, and integrating Spanish communications, battle management systems, and electronics. The program schedule and delivery objectives have not yet been announced.
The K9 and K10 are state-of-the-art artillery systems specifically designed for efficient employment in modern battlefield settings. They maximise digital architecture, automation, and the ability to rapidly deliver precise indirect fires to ranges up to and beyond 40 kilometres. It has automatic loading and can emplace in minutes and fire and move.
Spain will be the 11th country to operate the K9, joining Poland, Romania, Turkey, Finland, Estonia, Norway, Australia, India, Egypt and South Korea.
by Stephen W. Miller
