Finnish industry set to gain from K9 deal

Finnish industry is set to benefit from a major new contract between Finland and South Korea.

The Finnish Ministry of Defence and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) on Thursday signed a government-to-government agreement covering the purchase of surplus K9 self-propelled howitzers.

The procurement comprises 112 surplus K9 systems, alongside associated spare parts, special tools and test equipment. The total value is approximately 546.8 million euro.

The Finnish Defence Forces outsource service and maintenance to private companies. In this case, Millog Oy holds the contract. Defence Nordic has approached the company for comment.

Finland first procured the K9 in March 2017, placing an initial order for 48 units with Hanwha Aerospace, and has since placed several follow-on orders.

With this latest agreement, Finland becomes the third NATO member to operate more than 200 K9 systems, alongside Türkiye and Poland. In the Nordic region, Norway also operates the platform.

Under the contract, the 112 systems and associated equipment are scheduled for delivery to the Finnish Army from 2028 onwards.

As the Finnish Army has operated the K9 as its primary artillery platform for several years, the additional units are expected to integrate readily into the existing force structure.