K7 TOTAL SECURITY 2018 UPGRADE
K7 TOTAL SECURITY 2018 LICENSE

Early concepts requested by the military included river crossing capability and the installation of M61 Vulcan as an anti-air weapon, which were later removed due to being unnecessary for such a long-range weapon. As a result, and at the beginning of K9 development, the ADD was determined to create a new weapon system and worked on a conceptual model until 1991.

K7 TOTAL SECURITY 2018 UPGRADE

In 1987, the ADD offered an upgrade plan to the existing K55 inspired by the United States' M109 Howitzer Improvement Program (HIP), but was rejected by the Republic of Korea Army in 1988. They saw that burst fire and quick relocation would become the dominant factor in artillery battles and built an automatic loading system for testing in 1984. Since 1983, the ADD researchers have been collecting and analyzing data for future artillery. The development started in 1989 and was led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Samsung Aerospace Industries (now Hanwha Defense).

K7 TOTAL SECURITY 2018 LICENSE

With the success in designing and manufacturing the KH178 105 mm and KH179 155 mm Towed Howitzers, and experience gained by license producing the K55 (KM109A2), the Ministry of Defense ordered the development of a new system that would have a longer firing range, faster firing rate, and high mobility. However, they had shorter firing ranges compared to M-1978 Koksan and were outnumbered by various North Korean artillery. The armed forces operated M107 self-propelled guns and K55 self-propelled howitzers. In the 1980s, the ROK Armed Forces came in need of a new artillery system to contest North Korean equipment. Development Northwest island maritime firing exercise of South Korean Marine Corps 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. 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.

K9 howitzers operate in groups with the K10 automatic ammunition resupply vehicle variant. 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.

K7 total security 2018