Hanwha wins US Army Mobile Tactical Cannon prototype contract for K9MH wheeled howitzer

The US Army awarded Hanwha Defense USA a contract on August 18, 2026 to deliver six K9MH 8x8 wheeled 155mm howitzer prototypes under the Mobile Tactical Cannon program, aimed at eventually replacing the M777 towed howitzer. The award has a $100.3 million base value and a $262.9 million ceiling including an option for 12 more vehicles, with about four years of operational evaluation to follow. It is the first major direct US Army contract for Hanwha Defense USA and positions Hanwha for the Army's broader artillery modernization. Prototypes will be assembled at Hanwha's Opelika, Alabama facility, and US Army acquisition leadership toured Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon production lines on August 26 to review artillery and rocket manufacturing capacity.