Hanwha Aerospace has formally concluded a third procurement agreement with Norway’s Defence Materiel Agency to supply an additional 24 K9 VIDAR self-propelled howitzers, a move that will raise Norway’s total K9 inventory to 52 systems. The contract — signed in Oslo in a ceremony attended by senior defense and diplomatic figures including Hanwha’s CEO and Norway’s military and procurement chiefs — continues a multi-phase relationship that began with a 2017 order. Under the schedule laid out by the agreement, deliveries will be completed by 2027. The new tranche of vehicles will be fitted with upgraded communications gear and will be fully integrated into Norway’s national combat system, enabling the howitzers to operate within Norway’s command and control architecture and allied interoperability frameworks. Alongside the hardware, the deal includes a comprehensive Integrated Logistics Support package: training, maintenance, and sustainment services delivered in cooperation with Norwegian industry partners to ensure fielded units remain operational and that local technical capacity is developed. Norway’s phased procurement history shows a steady build-up of capability: the initial 2017 order delivered 24 K9s and six K10 ammunition resupply vehicles by 2020, with centralized training organized at a dedicated competence center in Bjerkvik. Operational units started fielding from 1 January 2021 and further deployments followed in Setermoen and Rena. Norway later exercised options to add a small number of additional K9 and K10 vehicles, and by early 2025 the country had 28 K9 VIDARs and 14 K10s in service. This most recent purchase — publicly reported in April and now formalized in September 2025 — was valued at roughly $534 million and finalizes the government’s stated plan to increase firepower and resilience ahead of regional security uncertainties. The arrangement underscores the continuing role of South Korean defense exports in NATO procurement, while reinforcing Norway’s effort to maintain a modern, well-supported artillery force able to integrate into multinational operations.
