The Finnish Ministry of Defence and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) signed a government-to-government contract on 9 April 2026 regarding the purchase of surplus K9 self-propelled howitzers.
The signing ceremony took place at the House of the Estates in Helsinki, attended by Jae-il Son, President & CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, Joshua Ahn, Head of MRO Business Group of Hanwha Aerospace, and Olli Ruutu, Director General of Resource Policy and Director of National Armaments at the Finnish Ministry of Defence.
The procurement includes 112 pieces of surplus K9 self-propelled howitzers as well as related spare parts and special tools and test equipment. The total value of the procurement is approximately 546,8 million euros.
Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen Comments:
“This procurement enhances the capability of the Finnish artillery cost-effectively. The acquisition is a part of the decade-long modernization of the Finnish Army as stated in the Government Defence Report. At the same time, this is a strong expression of the close co-operation of the respective defence administrations of Finland and the Republic of Korea”, states the Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.
The procurement will further enhance the Army’s firepower and its ability to support operational forces with long-range artillery systems that have good off-road and road mobility. The acquisition will partially replace aging towed artillery equipment.
Finland first acquired K9 self-propelled howitzers in 2017 through a government-to-government deal with the Republic of Korea’s agency KOTRA. In total, 96 K9 self-propelled howitzers have previously been procured.
The self-propelled howitzers will undergo national modifications in Finland before entering service. The K9 system’s maintenance and sustainment capability has already been established domestically in Finland with earlier acquisitions.
The procurement is included in the Ministry of Defence’s planned budget framework.
