K9 Thunder

K9 Thunder
K9 Thunder
Type	Self-propelled howitzer
Place of origin	South Korea
Service history
In service	K9: 1999–present ; K9A1: 2018–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Korean conflict Bombardment of Yeonpyeong; ;
Production history
Designer	Agency for Defense Development (main developer); Dongmyeong Heavy Industries (turret and suspension); Kia Heavy Industry (main armament); Poongsan Corporation (ammunition); Samsung Aerospace Industries (structure and production);
Designed	1989–1998
Manufacturer	Samsung Aerospace Industries (1998–2000); Samsung Techwin (2000–2015); Hanwha Techwin (2015–2017); Hanwha Land Systems (2017–2019); Hanwha Defense (2019–2022); Hanwha Aerospace (2022–present);
Unit cost	4 billion KRW (ROK Armed Forces, 2021)
Produced	K9: 1998–2018 ; K9A1: 2018–present
No. built	1,800 (2024)
Variants	See variants and upgrades
Specifications
Mass	K9 & K9A1: 47 t (46 long tons; 52 short tons), combat K9A2: 48.5 t (47.7 long tons; 53.5 short tons), combat, with metal track
Length	Overall: 12 m (39 ft 4 in) ; Hull: 7.44 m (24 ft 5 in)
Width	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Height	2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew	K9 & K9A1: 5 (Commander, Driver, Gunner, 2 Loaders) K9A2: 3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Maximum firing range	18 km (M107, HE) ; 30 km (M549A1, RAP/HE) ; 36 km (K310, BB/DP-ICM) ; 41 km (K307, BB/HE) ; 54 km (K315, LAP/HE)
Sights	Panoramic scope (manual mode); Safran MINEO DFSS (option)
Armour	POSCO MIL-12560H armor steel (South Korean produced variants only, after 2022) Bisalloy armour steel (foreign licensed variants, after 2022)Spall liner (option); Plasan add-on armor (option)
Main; armament	Hyundai WIA CN98 155 mm 52 caliber, 48 rounds
Secondary; armament	SNT Dynamics K6 12.7x99 mm NATO HMG
Engine	STX Engine/MTU Friedrichshafen MT881Ka-500 8-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine 735 kW (1,000 hp) @ 2,700 rpmSTX Engine SMV1000 8-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine 735 kW (1,000 hp) @ 2,700 rpm (available since 2024)
Power/weight	21.3 hp/t (15.88 kW/t)
Transmission	SNT Dynamics/Allison Transmission X1100-5A3 ; 4 forward, 2 reverse
Suspension	Mottrol/Horstman Hydropneumatic Suspension Unit (HSU) ; Travel distance: ≤ 275 mm ; Dead weight: 40–45 kN
Ground clearance	410 mm (16 in); longitudinal slope: 60 %; lateral slope: 30 %; vertical: 0.75 m; trench: 2.8 m; fording: 1.5 m
Fuel capacity	850 L (225 U.S. gal)
Operational; range	360 km (220 mi)
Maximum speed	67 km/h (42 mph)

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and private corporations including Dongmyeong Heavy Industries, Kia Heavy Industry, Poongsan Corporation, and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and is now manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace. K9 howitzers operate in groups with the K10 ammunition resupply vehicle variant.

The entire K9 fleet operated by the ROK Armed Forces is now undergoing upgrades to K9A1, and a further upgrade variant K9A2 is being tested for production. As of 2022, the K9 series has had a 52% share of the global self-propelled howitzer market, including wheeled vehicles, since the year 2000.