Hanwha Aerospace has signed a new agreement with Norway’s Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) for the supply of 24 additional K9 VIDAR self-propelled howitzers, bringing the total number of systems in Norwegian service to 52. Deliveries under the latest order are scheduled to conclude by 2027. The new howitzers will feature enhanced communications systems and will be fully integrated into Norway’s national combat network. The package also includes Integrated Logistics Support, ensuring training, sustainment, and long-term maintenance in partnership with local Norwegian industry.
The signing ceremony was held in Oslo with the participation of Hanwha Aerospace President and CEO Jaeil Son, NDMA Director General Gro Jære, Norwegian Army Chief Major General Lars Lervik, and South Korea’s Ambassador to Norway, Min-Jeong Seo. The contract represents the third phase of Norway’s artillery modernization program, following earlier procurements of the K9 platform.
In 2017, Norway placed its first order for 24 K9 VIDARs and six K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, with deliveries completed on time by 2020. Training was consolidated at a new competence center in Bjerkvik, and the first operational battery entered service at Setermoen in January 2021. Additional batteries were deployed later in Setermoen and Rena the same year. In November 2022, Oslo exercised an option for four more K9s and eight K10s, expanding its artillery fleet.
By early 2025, the Norwegian Army fielded 28 K9 VIDARs and 14 K10s. In April 2025, the government confirmed its intent to purchase another 24 K9s in a deal worth about $534 million. That commitment has now been finalized with the September 2025 signing, reinforcing Norway’s long-term partnership with Hanwha Aerospace and strengthening its artillery capabilities in the High North.
