The Wall Street Journal. Thursday, September 19, 2023

Ukraine’s Hunger for Howitzers Transforms an Arms Industry

The 155mm K9 self-propelled howitzer is at the center of South Korea’s unlikely rise as a weapons exporter. Demand for howitzers and other weapons made in South Korea has been turbocharged as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned into a grinding land war.

South Korea’s K9 howitzer isn’t considered to be as advanced as Germany’s PzH 2000. Yet, countries such as Poland, Norway and Estonia have turned to South Korea’s K9 howitzers after giving their existing howitzers to Kyiv because they are roughly half the price and delivered within months instead of years.

Hanwha is developing other arms that are in demand globally. Another of its subsidiaries, Hanwha Ocean, is manufacturing 3,000-ton attack submarines capable of firing ballistic missiles. The company aims to secure a deal with Canada to replace its aging fleet with eight to 12 submarines.

South Korea is still small when compared with the world’s biggest weapons suppliers, accounting for just 2.4% of global arms exports.

While the U.S. accounts for around 60% of pending combat aircraft orders globally, South Korea has the most orders of tanks and artillery among the world’s top 10 arms exporters.

Last year, Poland had intended to buy 500 U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or Himars, which have been used by Ukraine. Instead, it signed a deal to buy 288 South Korean Chunmoo launchers manufactured by Hanwha, with the Polish defense minister tying the decision to America’s inability to deliver the Himars in a satisfactory time frame.

Romania and the U.K. are also planning to import Hanwha’s K9 howitzers while a manufacturing facility will be built in Poland, which could be used as a base for K9 exports to other European countries. In July, Australia chose Hanwha over Germany’s Rheinmetall to build 129 Redback infantry fighting vehicles, one of the largest projects in the history of the Australian army.

“South Korea very well may be the world’s fifth-largest weapons exporter in the next few years,” Wezeman said.

 

 

turbocharge : 급가속하다 = accelerate

grinding : 지루한, 소모적인 = wearing

subsidiaries : 자회사

secure : 확보하다 =acquire, ensure

accounts for : ~를 차지하다 = form

pending : 현재 걸려 있는, 진행중인