The South Korean K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzer has emerged as a frontrunner for the Swedish Defence Ministry’s number of a brand new artillery system to modernise its floor pressure capabilities.Swedish defence planners finding out choices for buying tracked self-propelled artillery are anticipated to pick the system to enhance the indigenous Archer wheeled 155mm howitzer, offering a capability to function in deep snow and different tough terrain in methods the Archer can not. Swedish curiosity within the K9 reportedly emerged after Army assessments highlighted the Archer’s constraints in heavy snow and rugged terrain, with the nation’s larger deal with reaching conflict readiness for a possible battle with Russia making the flexibility to function fashionable artillery from a a lot wider vary of places seem crucial.
Inside Swedish paperwork cited by South Korean media retailers point out that plans are presently into consideration to determine two battalion-sized models geared up with the K9. Alongside the system’s benefits over different NATO-standard artillery techniques, plans for deeper logistics and sustainment cooperation with neighbouring Norway and Finland, which each already function the K9, is taken into account an additional issue within the favour of the South Korean system. The K9 is certainly one of a number of South Korean weapons techniques which have gained a quick rising market share amongst NATO members, regardless of important lobbying efforts by Germany to market its rival tools. Alongside Finland and Norway, the armies of Poland, Turkey, and Estonia all presently discipline the K9, whereas additional models are on order to equip the Romanian Army.
The big scale procurements of K9 howitzers by NATO members has occurred in parallel to the lesser however nonetheless important traction the K2 predominant battle tank has additionally gained, with 1000 deliberate to be fielded by Poland and Turkey every, as each have sought to section their German Leopard 2 tanks out of service following questionable fight performances in Ukraine and Iraq. In comparison with the K9, the rival German Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) self-propelled howitzer stays much less confirmed in large-scale service, faces longer manufacturing timelines, and has suffered from very severe efficiency points when deployed by the Ukrainian Army. The howitzers confirmed important indicators of “put on and tear,” and broke down quickly after only a month of fight use. The extra shoppers in Europe choose the K9, the extra traction the howitzer is anticipated to proceed to realize because the interoperability advantages for brand new shoppers proceed to develop.
The K9’s most notable options embrace an automated shell dealing with and ramming system, a charge of fireside of six shells per minute, and a capability to fireplace on totally different trajectories briefly succession. The improved K9A1 variant which Sweden is anticipated to obtain boasts enhanced hearth controls and pc working techniques, permitting the system to fireplace with out operating its predominant engine for decreased gasoline consumption, decreased upkeep wants, and a better diploma of precision utilizing each INS and GPS steerage. New prolonged vary ammunition has improved the K9’s engagement vary to 54 kilometres.
The K9’s more and more widespread deployment in Europe is anticipated to position considerably larger strain on Russian defences, with the howitzer far outmatching the capabilities of the massive majority of Russian self-propelled howitzers, and being rivalled solely by the brand new 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV which started to enter service in restricted numbers from 2023. Russian artillery capabilities have themselves benefitted significantly the supply of North Korean 170mm self-propelled weapons, the lengthy ranges and excessive precision of which have been singled out particularly be senior Ukrainian officers as a significant problem going through by Army models on the frontlines.
