Hanwha 8x8 155mm SPH self-propelled howitzer
Hanwha Aero is developing a new wheeled self-propelled howitzer. After losing to the wheeled self-propelled howitzer RCH155 in the British self-propelled artillery project last April, a countermeasure was put forward. As reported on 23 July 2024, by by Kim Min Seok on the South Korean internet portal Biz.HanKoo , Hanwha is working on a wheeled version of the 155-mm self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder. The design of the new weapon was revealed in the second half of July 2024 when a model of the new artillery system was presented to the public. This SPG is a combination of the K239 MLRS truck and K9A2 turret. The armed K239 weighs 31 tons, so this is a pretty sturdy truck.
The newly designed Korean self-propelled howitzer on an 8x8 wheeled chassis can be equipped with a 155mm gun with a length of 58 calibers, which is expected to increase the range of effective fire. According to the presented visualization, the turret is to be integrated with the Korean 8×8 wheeled platform from the Chunmoo MLRS launcher, but Hanwha anticipates the possibility of using other truck chassis if potential customers require it.
Hanwha's new turret, designed for modular compatibility, can be mounted on various vehicles outside the KTSSM, including the Tigon armored vehicle, increasing its competitiveness in international markets. This modularity can be beneficial in international markets where countries have different vehicle requirements, such as ATMOS 2000. The new Hanwha Aerospace 8x8 wheeled self-propelled howitzer is designed to compete with existing models such as the RCH 155, the French CAESAr MkI and MkII, the Israeli ATMOS 2000 and the Rheinmetall wheeled howitzer, which integrates the 155mm L52 gun with the HX3 10x10 platform. The British Army's decision to purchase RCH 155 self-propelled howitzers as part of the Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) program was confirmed during a meeting between UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on 23 April 2024.
The age of towed artillery is basically over. Counter battery has become so responsive and accurate that the time it takes to displace after firing means that a towed battery may only get off 2-3 shots before return fire starts knocking out guns. But not everyone needs, or can afford, a tracked vehicle. Tracked vehicles are also a little bit overkill for a 105mm, which have also generally been towed pieces, and putting it on the back of a truck isn’t any real loss of mobility beyond increasing ground pressure.
The wheeled version of the K9 will use a turret derived from the K9A2 modernization project, i.e. with an increased degree of automation, which will allow for the reduction of the crew to 3 soldiers (driver, commander and gunner). What's more, the Korean howitzer can be equipped with a 155-mm gun with a length of 58 calibers, which is to increase the range of effective fire. Defense Express reported this is a new version of the self-propelled gun with an automatic loader. It has a rate of fire of up to 9-10 per minute, instead of the standard conventional up to 6 shots, which greatly depends on the skill of calculation and the level of fatigue of the chargers. This also allows to reduce the crew from five to three people.
The K9A2 prototype has been around for quite some time and is being successfully tested, but the work, which the Korean Ministry of Defense estimated at $1.81 billion, must be completed by 2027. And then, as part of the work on the 58-caliber gun, install it, both on the tracked and wheeled versions.
The manufacturer itself is very reserved in providing information. Three months after losing to the German KNDS RCH 155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer in the UK’s MPF program in April 2024, the company is currently in the early design stage of a competing model. Hanwha started developing wheeled self-propelled howitzers after defeat to KNDS's RCH155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer in the British MPF program.
Hanwha Aerospace disclosed that it is developing an export-type wheeled self-propelled howitzer with its own budget in preparation for future competition for orders. The wheeled armored vehicle revealed by Hanwha Systems at the '2024 Defense Quality Comprehensive Academic Conference' held in Changwon on July 19 is a KTSSM launcher under development with a turret from the K9A2 next-generation self-propelled howitzer modified and mounted on it. The wheeled self-propelled howitzer, which inherits the functions of the K9A2 that are fully automated and do not require human hands for loading, can be operated by two or three people, and can also utilize the excellent shooting rate per minute of the K9A2.
Initially the export wheeled self-propelled howitzer was equipped with the same 52-caliber gun as the K9A2, but the longer-barreled 58-caliber gun that will be mounted on the K9A2 in the future can also be mounted on the wheeled self-propelled howitzer. In this case, the wheeled self-propelled howitzer is expected to have the ability to precisely strike enemy targets that are more than 70 km away when using guided shells.
The K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzer from Hanwha Aerospace, currently occupying over 50% of the global self-propelled howitzer market as of early 2024. Hanwha was originally developing a wheeled version of the K9. Suddenly, the regular K9 was selling like hotcakes and doing well, so some European countries requested that the wheeled version be sold quickly. When they said that the wheeled version couldn't sell because there was no driving result like the regular K9, those European countries said, "Then sell it to us and we'll test it and let you know." However, since the wheeled vehicle itself can only be driven on flat ground with well-paved roads or hard ground, it is not a very desirable item for the military. They don't have good off-road driving ability, and it takes time to stop and dissipate heat and install the mount because the mission shakes after firing.
In general, armored vehicles with caterpillar tracks do not march to the target area on their own because they are overloaded and break down. . Tracked systems experience higher maintenance costs and require more personnel to maintain, and special transport trailers are required for long-distance movements.
Wheeled vehicles are literally trucks with cannons on them, so they can travel hundreds of kilometers without any problems. In terms of mobility during battle, the tracked self-propelled gun has the advantage because they can just shoot and move. Unlike the vehicle type, where the crew is wiped out even if a shell lands nearby, the armored type doesn't lose crew members unless it gets directly hit by a shell. The advantage of wheels is that they are cheaper than tracks and have lower maintenance costs. And in an emergency, if tracks break, you have to abandon them, but if you have that many wheels, you can keep rolling even if one breaks. Weight is reduced and there is no damage to the road. Since advanced countries have good road conditions anyway, mobility and maintenance cost-effectiveness can be dramatically improved.
However, since there are no roads that large in Korea’s mountainous terrain, it seems like the Ministry of National Defense might be reluctant to do so (they are complaining that the new tactical command vehicle is too big, but that large vehicle can never be driven on current military roads).
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