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South Korea Hanwha Aerospace
K9 Thunder
South Korea's self-propelled howitzer and the best-selling artillery system of its kind worldwide, exported to Turkey, Poland, Finland, India, Norway, Estonia, Australia, Egypt, Romania, and Vietnam. Its 155 mm 52-caliber gun and automated ammunition handling allow high burst rates of fire and rapid displacement to avoid counter-battery fire.
In service since 1999 · 11 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
67
km/h
360
km range
155
mm gun
47,000
kg
💲 ≈ $3,000,000, Approximate, based on reported 4 billion KRW unit price
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
ROK export-licensed
DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.
Channel: Government-to-government
Fielded & proven
Established · 11 operators
In service since 1999. Status: active · ~1,900 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$7.5M – $11M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 67 km/h Stronger than 55% of artillery systems
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 360 km Stronger than 22% of artillery systems
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 6 rpm Stronger than 53% of artillery systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 155 mm/52-caliber Hyundai WIA CN98 gun
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.
- 155 mm
- Max firing range
Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.
- 54 km Stronger than 68% of artillery systems
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 47,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 5
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
- Caliber
Bore diameter the round is fired from.
- 155 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $3,000,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1,900 Stronger than 85% of artillery systems
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 11 Stronger than 82% of artillery systems
Specifications compiled from public Hanwha Aerospace and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder has a maximum speed of 67 km/h.
What is the range of the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder has a maximum range of 360 km.
How much does the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder weigh? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder has a combat weight of 47,000 kg.
How many crew does the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder require? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder requires a crew of 5.
What is the main armament of the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder's primary weapon is the 155 mm/52-caliber Hyundai WIA CN98 gun.
How many countries operate the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder is operated by 11 countries.
How much does the Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder cost? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K9 Thunder has an approximate unit cost of 3,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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