Hanwha Aerospace said on the 11th that it broke ground on a local plant in Romania to produce K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles.
The plant is named H-ACE Europe (Hanwha Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence Europe) and will be equipped with advanced assembly facilities, performance and verification test facilities, and a 1,751-meter test track on a site measuring 181,055 square meters.
The company will use this plant as a key base to support local production of K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles, and plans to establish a full life-cycle support system including assembly, integration, testing, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).
Going forward, it plans to gradually build capacity so the plant can grow into a European hub that can expand to the production and support of advanced land systems such as infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), long-range precision strike systems, and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).
Hanwha Aerospace plans to strengthen cooperation with local partners in Romania during facility construction and operation to boost local production capabilities. It will expand its cooperation base with more than 30 local partners and support Romanian corporations in joining the global supply chain. The goal is to raise the localization rate to as high as 80%.
Earlier, in Jul. 2024, the company signed a contract with Romania to supply 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles. Romania became the 10th member of the "K9 Users' Club," a group of K9 operators, and the sixth operator among North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states.
Hanwha Aerospace said it expects the construction of the plant to establish a local production base for land systems in Europe and contribute to strengthening the defense industry supply chains of Romania and Europe.
Meanwhile, key local figures attended the H-ACE Europe groundbreaking ceremony held on the 11th in Petrești, Dâmbovița County, southern Romania, including Defense Acquisition Program Administration Commissioner Lee Yong-chul, Presidential Adviser for National Security and Foreign Policy Marius Gabriel Lazurca, and Deputy Prime Minister Barna Tánczos.