Key facts
- The U.S. Army received its first South Korean-made mobile howitzer system, the Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC).
- The MTC is manufactured by Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co.
- The system is based on the K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery, operated by the South Korean military since 1999.
- The contract for prototypes is valued at up to $262.9 million.
- The MTC program aims to replace the Army's aging M777 towed howitzers.
The U.S. Army has received its first South Korean-made mobile howitzer system, the Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC), as part of its efforts to replace aging artillery. The MTC is manufactured by Hanwha Defense USA, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co.
Brig. Gen. Robert Mikesh Jr., the Army's portfolio management executive for offensive fires, expressed enthusiasm for testing the system and gathering soldier feedback. Hanwha Defense USA was selected in August to provide prototypes for the MTC program, which is based on a wheeled variant of the K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery.
The MTC program aims to develop a highly mobile 155 mm artillery system to replace the Army's M777 towed howitzers, which have been in service since 2005. The contract includes the delivery of six MTC prototypes with an option for an additional 12 systems, potentially totaling up to $262.9 million. The K9 Thunder system has been operated by the South Korean military since 1999 and exported to multiple countries. This marks the K9 system's entry into the U.S. defense market.