Following the progress made in negotiations between both countries, which began in 2024, South Korea is reported to have finalized the sale of new K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers to equip the Vietnamese Army. According to reports from the last few hours, the contract was allegedly signed on July 27 between representatives of Hanwha Aerospace and Vietnamese officials, and would cover the supply of 20 K9A1 155mm self-propelled artillery combat vehicles (SPHs), along with related equipment, for an approximate amount of US $250 million.
Aimed at strengthening the fire support and long-range strike capabilities of its armed forces, and in a context of growing regional conflicts and tensions, Vietnam’s acquisition of the K9 would make the country the first Southeast Asian operator of this modern South Korean artillery system. It is also worth noting that this government-to-government agreement does not include maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) clauses, which allowed Hanoi to maximize the number of units within the allocated budget. Deliveries are expected to be completed by the end of this year, with their future deployment anticipated along the northern border with China, particularly in Military Region 1 (Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, and Quảng Ninh).
It should be noted that for several months and years now, Vietnam has been showing interest in the K9 Thunder. By 2024, the country’s Deputy Minister of Defense expressed Vietnam’s intention to acquire South Korean self-propelled artillery vehicles. At that time, while evaluating artillery systems from the Republic of Korea, the official also highlighted the willingness to expand industrial cooperation between the two nations.
Subsequently, in January of this year, the plans for a potential acquisition resurfaced with greater firmness, with reports indicating that the Vietnamese Army was close to reaching a deal worth at least US $300 million. Within this proposal, negotiations already considered the purchase of around 20 K9 Thunder units. This procurement is part of Vietnam’s plan to replace and modernize its inventory, which currently includes U.S.-origin M114 155mm and M101 105mm towed howitzers, as well as some Soviet-made 2S3 Akatsiya units.
Finally, the purchase of self-propelled howitzers from South Korea would be complemented by other long-range strike systems being incorporated by the Vietnamese Army. Specifically, since 2024 Vietnam has been introducing into service the new VCS-01 Truong Son coastal defense system, developed domestically by the state-owned Viettel company, which entered service in April of the same year and was assigned to the 679th Brigade of the 1st Regional Command of the Navy, a unit tasked with operating in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, in the north of the country.
*Cover photograph used for illustrative purposes only
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