Lockheed Martin UK has entered right into a teaming settlement with South Korea’s Hanwha Protection to affix the “Group Thunder,” which is providing the K9 self-propelled howitzer for the British Military’s Cell Fires Platform (MFP) program. The staff, which additionally consists of Pearson Engineering, Horstman Defence Programs, Leonardo UK, and Soucy Protection of the Soucy Group, is pitching the construct of a sophisticated variant of the K9 SPH for the Royal Artillery. The supply relies on the native manufacturing of the K9A2, a sophisticated model that can be an improve of the prevailing 155mm/52-calibre K9A1. The upgrades can be associated to improved lethality, mobility and survivability.
Hanwha Protection beforehand mentioned the Group Thunder partnership was established with one eye on the export market with the potential for the UK to change into a regional hub inside the international provide chain of the two,400 autos within the K9 household, together with K10 ammunition resupply autos. The UK protection ministry’s MFP program is seeking to procure as much as 116 self-propelled howitzers. The popular contractor for the supply of the brand new functionality can be revealed by 2025. MFP is a part of the British Military’s plans to speculate £800 million in its artillery functionality as a part of the newest built-in protection and safety evaluation.
Commercial
“We’re delighted to be working with Lockheed Martin UK as a part of Group Thunder. The corporate’s Ampthill website in Bedfordshire is house to the nation’s most superior digital manufacturing facility within the protection sector,” mentioned government vp Kim Dae-young, Head of Hanwha Protection’s Abroad Enterprise Centre.
“Together with different Group Thunder accomplice’s experience, specialty engineering, and digitally-enabled manufacturing facility will present the trendy capabilities wanted to fabricate in-country, deliver into service and assist the K9A2,” Lee Fellows, vp and managing director for Lockheed Martin UK’s Ampthill enterprise, mentioned.
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the Company for Protection Growth and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and is now manufactured by Hanwha Protection. K9 howitzers function in teams with the K10 computerized ammunition resupply automobile variant. Your entire K9 fleet operated by the ROK Armed Forces is now present process upgrades to K9A1, and additional improve variant K9A2 is being examined for manufacturing. As of 2022, the K9 collection has 69% market share of the worldwide 155 mm self-propelled howitzer because the 12 months 2000. The K9 tracked Howitzer is likely one of the hottest platforms of its kind, and is already in service with seven nations, together with NATO members equivalent to Poland, Norway and Estonia.
